left finger and thumb and hold it up while you pull out the fid. Drop the fid, pick up the proper strand in the end, and tuck it through the raised strand from outboard TOWARD you, as shown in the figure.

Your first round of tucks must be taken in proper order or you will come out all fouled up. Separate the strands in the end and hold them up, as shown in figure 4-24, view 1. The middle strand facing you always tucks first. Be sure you keep the right-hand strand (view 2) on the side of the line which is toward you. You tuck that one next, over the strand you just tucked the other one under, and under the strand just below it (view 3).

Now turn the whole thing over. You can see (view 4) that you now have only one strand from the end left untucked, and only one strand in the standing part that does not already have a strand under it. Be sure you tuck your last strand also from outboard toward you, as shown in view 5.

The first round of tucks is the big secret. The rest is easy. Simply tuck each strand from the end over the strand of the standing part which it is now above, and under the next strand below that one, until you have

Figure 4-24. - Making an eye splice.