FLY-FISHING. 239 



THE ART OF DYEING FEATHERS, HACKLES, PIG'S 

 WOOL, AND MOHAIR, SUITABLE COLORS FOR FLIES. 



It is a great advantage to the fly -fisherman to pos- 

 sess the knowledge of dyeing his materials, as it is 

 by no means easy to procure them at all times of 

 the desired color. It is, besides, an amusement and 

 an inducement to study the colors, sizes, and habits 

 of the insects which he wishes to imitate. The 

 colors for salmon-flies should be as rich and brilliant 

 as possible ; those for trout are of soberer hues. 

 Hackles should be selected with much care, of fine 

 fibre, of even taper. White hackles are requisite 

 for yellow, orange, blue, and green ; red hackles for 

 claret, red, brown, and olive. They should be 

 washed in soap and water before dyeing, and tied 

 in small bunches for convenience of handling. 



It is important in dyeing all kinds of feathers to 

 dress them thoroughly. They should be rinsed in 

 clean water when taken from the dye, wiped as dry 

 as possible, and dressed with the hand in the direc- 

 tion of the fibres until dry. This gives them a 

 smoothness and gloss which can be given in no 

 other way, 



Naturally-colored feathers are perhaps j^referable, 

 as a general thing, for trout-flies; but there are 

 some which cannot be had of the proper color, and 

 for salmon-flies the dyer's art is indispensable. 



