FLY-MAKING MATERIALS. 65 



artificial means. The fly-fisher who is the best 

 judge of colour has an immense advantage over 

 the bad colourist. When by-and-by I give my 

 list of flies, I shall be most particular in stating 

 the coloured materials of which they are to be 

 made. The wings and feet of flies are almost al- 

 ways made of feathers the bodies of fur, mohair, 

 silk, wool, &c. ; and the fly-dresser cannot be too 

 particular in the quality and colour of those mate- 

 rials. The most general feather for wings is the 

 wing-feather of the starling, its longest or inner 

 fibres to be used ; the most general feather for 

 legs, and sometimes for body, is a cock's hackle- 

 feather ; and the most general substance for dub- 

 bing the body is mohair : it is the best also. The 

 hackle-feather is taken from the back part of the 

 cock's neck, and that part of the bird affords 

 feathers of various sizes and various hues. Mohair 

 can be dyed any colour ; it resists water well, does 

 not cake in it, shows its colour effectually, and 

 mixes well with fur and silk. It is a most valu- 

 able material. The hackles of cocks are of differ- 

 ent colours. The most valuable are duns, and 

 they are the most difficult to be obtained in per- 

 fection. The best dun feathers are to be found 

 in Wales and the midland counties. Hackles are 

 to be got from a variety of other birds from the 

 grouse, the green and golden plover, the partridge, 

 bittern, woodcock, snipe, wren, tomtit, &c. ; and 

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