ANGLING NOTES.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 12903, 7 September 1907, Page 12

ANGLING NOTES.

HINTS FOR BEGINNERS.—II Br "Iron Blue."

Having become possessed of a rod ■and reel, the next thing to be considered is the line. The 21 inch reel should hold forty yarda of No. 4, or letter F, solid silk waterproof line. Xhero is no necessity to have a very fine fly line. It perishes very much sooner, breaks more easily, and is much harder to cast with, than a line of medium thickness. In anything approaching a head wind it is an unmitigated nuisance. If the cast is made correctly the trout does not see the line at all; therefore, let us have one that we can rely on.

The spinning line should be sixty yards of the same solid eilk as the fly lino, only two sizes thicker. lorty yards is sufficient for all ordinary purposes, but there surely comes a time, whon a few more yards would have saved us what no are quite certain to believe, was the largest trout -we ever hooked. The whole lino need not ibe made up or' dressed eilk; thirty yards can bo what is called backing, cither thin water-cord or Irish waterproof lino. The water-cord is better, and thirty yards will coet about Is Gd. Tim goes" on the reel next tho drum, and in list Uj carefully spliced to the rest. It is not easy for an amateur to mako a neat level splice that will run nicely through the rings, so he should get this done for him at the tackle shop. If after using it, the .angler will pull all the line off the reel and hang it in loose coils qyer the back of a chair to dry, it will last mudi longer; a line constantly put «-way wet soon rote, however good it may be. . Either a bag or basket will be necessary, «nd the novice, must decide for himself which he -will carry- A basket keeps tho fish cooler and fresher, but is heavier to carry, and towards the end of a long day every ounce feels like a pound. If a T>ag is decided on. have one with a separato watcrproor lining, that can be taken out and washed, for tho smell of a bag in which fish have been carried regularly is an obtrusive circumstance on a sunny day, and it is not easy to feel friendly towards tho man who wears it. In any case have an extra wide webbing strap, which will not cut into tho SJtdder; on the carrier., A WBood way is to have two etraps fastened to the bag like those on a knapsack. They cross over the chest and go back to the carrier under each arm, so that one shoulder is not burdened more landing net, with foldin* joints and plenty of varnish, will colt about « pound, but ,mj own experience of them has been that the jVinte are at inconvenient times. Atkst I.went to tho blacksmith, and got him to mako mc a plain ring, seventeen inches across, of querter-inch iron rod, with tho ends bent outwards from the circle, and left four inches long, to lash on a handle. I paid Iβ for the ring, and 2s for a dreseed hemp net 24 inches deop, and when, these were fitted and lashed on an ash stick four feet long, I hod a very serviceable net, tor big flsh, a gnff is the proper thing, a eteel hook, with c straight shaft a foot long, 2i inches eoroes the beml, and without a barb, which Iβ unnecessary, end only tears the fish. If you have a golfing friend, and can manage to break the head off one of his drivers, tho residue, which he probably will not value, will mako an ideal handle tor a ™Now for spinning, wo shall want some traces and minnows, and for fly-fishing, caste, flies, and a book or box. Salmon gut traces U -V"ds long, aro sold for Is 6d each, and these ore all right for every day work, but where the trout run Tery large, it is bettor to have them extra strong, ana pay a little more for tho feeling of security when tt big fish ie being played. All traces should hove three swivels, one •bout a foot from each end, aJid one in the middle. If there are fewer, the line ie very likely to kink, and cause endless annoyance, so it a better to have three, «nd to make reasonably euro of their turning by putting a drop of oil on each. Or minnowe, there< are many kinds, two of which—the Silver Devon and the Soleskin Whitebait—are genorally more killing than the rest. Tho Silver Devon will often pick up a fish in very thick water, when a less brightly coloured bait would not be noticed. Two and a quarter inches is « good size. The swivel at r the. lioso of a minnow is not always to bo relied on, and I have seen co many break there that I now cut it away, nnd tie the trace to the nose ring with a kind of jam knot. Cut tho bottom loop off tho trace, and put the end through the nose ring, bring it round, and put it through again, then tie a halt hitch with the end round the traco, work it down to the ring, «nd pull nil tight. It sounds simple, but I have never known it to slip. The novice—before he has learned to tie them for himself—will do well to buy minnowe tied in the countrjr by people who know what is required in the way of strength. Imported specimens are, as a rule, armed with triangles far too email and fragilo to hold our big tidal trout; the result is smashed triangles und a sorry temper. Waders, are more a matter of personal inclination than necessity. They help to keep one warm on a cold, rainy day, unless they leak, which they will soon do if one lias to walk through much goreo, or unless sonio water happens to spill in over the tops, when they are the acme of discomfort. On a hot day there is no doubt fhat waders are very tiring, and the process of turning them insido out to dry after a days fishing never appealed to mc. In enso of. an accident in a dangerous river, I should not think that a swim in them would be conducive to a long life, and though I have two pairs hanging on a nail in my den, on tho whole I prefer to be unhampered, and walk in and out of the water, as occasion may require. River-beds are rather rough on one'e boots, but strong shootingboota, well greased and thick]r-etuddel with nails, placed in groups of three, will last a reasonably long tinic, and a«re the most comfortnb!e things to wear. I might add that if you belong to n wife she will strongly object to this walking in and out of the wnter, on account of tho havoc it causes among your stockings, so the way will bo to pet oeido a couple of pairs especially for the purpose, and keep them carefully out of her sight.