4 WET OR SUNK FLY-FISHING. 



with it, the spider, which is nothing more than a 

 few fibres of feather twisted round the shank of 

 the hook, must be left hopelessly in the rear. 

 This is not, however, the experience of many of 

 the most skilful and successful anglers in the 

 north of England as well as in the south of Scot- 

 land. Indeed, for fishing up stream, in compara- 

 tively rapid waters, we have no hesitation in saying 

 that the hackle is the more deadly of the two. 



It is of supreme importance that the flies 

 whether winged or hackled should be dressed on 

 the finest gut, and should not be too bulky. At 

 the best, the finest feather is clumsy and coarse 

 compared with the delicate gossamer of the insect 

 wing, and naturally the more of the former there 

 is, the more likely is the trout to detect the 

 deception. The wings should be divided or 

 " split," as it is technically called, and should, in 

 the great majority of flies, be dressed so as to 

 stand well out from the shank of the hook For 

 the body we do not care as a rule for anything 

 more than either a strip of quill which makes 

 one of the best imitations of the natural insect 

 or, even simpler, the coloured thread with which 

 the hook is tied to the gut. Early in the season, 

 however, a heavier body is often found advan- 

 tageous, and this, if desired, can be made of 

 "hare lug," water-rat or mole fur, floss silk, or 

 mohair wool. But in no case should more be 



