FLIES AND KNOTS. (^Qg 
flies, and those in vogue in Canada are much gajer than 
those of New Brunswick. In Great Britain it was once the 
custom, as it still is in "Wales, to use sombre colors ; in 
England and Ireland the gayest are now the rage ; per- 
haps it will be the same here, and in the end we may 
find that handsome, gaudy feathers answer best. 
The turkey wing is of various colors, but where no 
other specific direction is given, the common mixture of 
black and brown is intended. Some sportsmen pretend 
to assimilate their flies to the sand-lance, others to the 
shrimp ; as the salmon obtain neither in fresh water, 
there is little to choose between the plans. 
As will be seen, therefore, from the foregoing, salmon 
flies are much more complicated than trout flies, and 
require more skill in their manufacture. The wings are 
ordinarily made of numerous fibres, frequently of dis- 
tinct feathers, which are fastened separately upon one 
another, and usually called toppings. The hook is often 
first tied securely with thick silk and then varnished, 
while a small loop instead of a length of gut is used. 
This is allowed to dry, and finer silk, usually the color 
of the intended fly, is employed to tie the feathers. 
Occasional fastenings may be made by taking a hitch 
over the whole, and varnish is applied, especially at the 
head and tail. After the hook is tied on, the silk is made 
fast at the bend, where the tinsel, the whisks, the body 
and the hackle are inserted ; the latter may, however, be 
introduced after several turns have been taken with the 
body, and the body may be divided into sections of 
various colors, in a manner that the least practice will 
render easy. 
