THE PALMEU. 2G5 



it certainly is the most general killing may-tiy j yet 

 the stone-fly is found to be the best in some few 

 l)laces, more especially about Carshalton, and also 

 in very stony small rivers j these flies are the best, 

 either natural or artificial, that Ccan be used until 

 ^Midsummer, in most waters. Trout are immoder- 

 ately fond of the may-flies, and nature has been very 

 bountiful in providing millions of them ; from feeding 

 on which, the Trout soon recovers his strength and 

 beauty, and also becomes very fat. 



Directions for making a Plain Palmer or Hackle. 



First, provide a short length of gut, about fifteen 

 inches long, and a hook No. 7 or 8, some red silk well 

 waxed with red wax, a fine red hackle, and some 

 ostrich feathers : hold the hook by the bend, between 

 the fore-finger and thumb of the left hand, with 

 the shank towards the right hand, and with the point 

 and beard of your hook nearly parallel with the tops 

 of your fingers 5 then take the length of silk about 

 the middle, and lay the one half along the inside of 

 the hook towards your left hand, the other to the 

 right ; next, take that part of the silk that lies towards 

 your right hand, between the fore-finger and thumb 

 of that hand, and holding that part towards your left 

 tight along the inside of the hook, whip that to the 

 right, three or four times round the shank of the 

 hook, towards the right hand ; after which, take the 

 gut, and lay one end of it along the inside of the 

 shank of the hook till it come near to the bend ; then 

 2 A 



