FISHING TACKLE AND HOW TO MAKE IT. 48 I 



applicable to all sizes of hooks larger than number 8 (Red- 

 ditch numbering). 



U. — Cork-bodied Floating Fly. — Body, cork; tail, fiber 

 from peacock wing-feather; hackle, brown; shoulder, two 

 turns of peacock herl; wing, mallard breast-feather. 



The details of the making of this exceedingly killing fly 

 are worth giving. Two bristles are taken, and the fibers 

 for the tail are attached by strong tying silk, as in A, fig. 29. 

 A slice of good clear cork is then cut (B) and soaked in 

 warm water for a few moments to render it pliant. It is 

 then wrapped round A, and the tying silk (of appropriate 

 color, of course), is rolled round it in wide coils, and the cork 

 is then placed on the shank of the hook (C). The coils are 

 continued and finally secured. The peacock herl hides the 

 junction between cork and hook; the hackle is added, and 

 then the wings; and the fly is finished. 



V. — Double-winged Red Spinner. — This feature of 

 double-winging not only imitates many of the natural insects, 

 but owing to the greater volume of feather (usually from 

 some water-bird whose feathers are always most buoyant) it 

 renders the fly a floater, when the wings are dried, by whirl- 

 ing in the air once or twice between each cast, as is practiced 

 on the much-fished streams of England. This is pretty fish- 

 ing — to see the fly sailing down, wings erect, on the water, 

 until the rising fish takes it with a musical smack of his 

 snowy lips. What says Shakespeare.'' 



"The plcnsantest angling is to see the fish 

 Cut with her golden oars the silver stream. 

 And greedily devour the treacherous bait." 



X. — The Royal Coachman. — Tail, wood-duck; tag, pea- 

 cock herl; body, scarlet silk; shoulder, peacock herl; hackle, 

 brown. A splendid all-round fly. 



Z. — Red-legged Grasshopper. — Body, yellowish green 

 chenille; legs, mid-rib of hackle, fibers clipped close; wings, 

 sparrow small quill-feathers; head, peacock heil. As will be 

 observed, this is an imitation of nature. I have tried 



31 



