mediately after
the fish have been removed, which latter should be done without delay.
Your landing-net should also be suspended in the open air, that it may
get dry as speedily as possible. A landing-net will last double the time
if attention is given to it in this way. Take out all used casting-lines
from your book, and lay them on the mantelpiece till morning: this will
insure the feathers being freed from moisture. And in the case of
expensive flies, this is a matter of consideration, both on the point of
expense as well as your possible inability to replace them where you may
happen to be sojourning for the time. If you mean to make up a new cast
or casts for the morrow, place the casting-lines in a little water in
your basin. They will be in excellent order next morning for
manipulation. Also soak in like manner the _gut_ on which the flies
which you mean to use are dressed. True, you may not be sure what flies
you will put on till you see what sort of a day it may prove to be, but
there is no harm done if you soak the gut (but only the gut) of as many
flies as will give you a good choice.

We should have said nearer the beginning of this chapter to look well
after your waterproofs, that they are not hung up in a hot place. A dry
room or outhouse where there is a good draught is best. If your fishing
should happen to be over for the time being, put your tackle past (after
being thoroughly dried) in the most orderly fashion possible. For our
own part, we have the drawer in our bookcase spaced out into
compartments suitable for holding all our tackle, barring reels and such
like; and this arrangement we find extremely useful, and wonderfully
convenient when we wish to find anything. If, on the other hand, you are
out on a lengthy holiday, and have time at your disposal, after putting
things right for the day, and for next day too, we know of nothing
better than a _good_ rubber at whist for filling up the evening. It must
be a _good_ rubber, however, for the parlour game is neither relaxation
nor pleasure. Hence we would advise all our angling friends to acquire a
thorough knowledge of the game, as only to be learned with the aid of a
good book on the subject. Remember that when staying at some
out-of-the-way fishing hotel, you may be asked to form a table with good
players, and not to be able to hold your own on such occasions is a
great loss of pleasure to yourself, and usually a source of annoyance to
the others.