A GOOD PLAIN FLY. 79 



taught. In the body of the fly represented, you 

 see white and dark ribs. The white are caused 

 by the tinsel ; the dark, by the portions of the 

 dubbing which you have not covered with the 

 twist or tinsel. In this figure there are three 

 prominent defects : the head is too thick, the 

 wings unequally divided, and the tail is omitted. 

 These defects are designedly caused. They will 

 often occur to the young fly-dresser ; but when 

 they do, he must unfasten his defective fly, and 

 begin again. 



The two last flies the learner has been studying 

 are amongst the most diffi- 

 cult to make. I will give 

 him a little relaxation now 

 by presenting to him one or *^ / %jjjjl 9 

 two flies more easily dressed 

 and here is one. It is a fly with plain silk for 

 body, with wings and legs. The making of it 

 should be frequently practised, as that will pro- 

 duce greater facility in dressing the more com- 

 plicated flies. There is nothing like a good 

 foundation. Arm your gut. Suppose the body of 

 your fly to be delicate and of an orange colour, 

 let the silk you use for arming be of that colour, 

 waxed with colourless wax.* Consequently, whilst 



* Wax colourless, as far as the effect on coloured silk goes, 

 may be thus made : Take two ounces of the best and lightest- 

 coloured resin, with a drachm of bleached beeswax ; put them 



