HOW TO DSESS A SALMON-FLT. 89 



in its natural colour and state^ to be doubled or 

 trebled as occasion may require. 

 A piece of ordinary cobbler^s-wax, which had better 

 be melted down with a little bees'-wax to make it 

 more workable. 

 A good wax can be made for use in dressing with 

 delicate colours by melting together 2 oz. yellow 

 resin, | oz. bleached beeswax, ^ oz. spermaceti. 

 Proportions of the two latter are added to make 

 the resin workable, and after being melted and 

 stirred the mixture should be poured while hot 

 into a basin of clean cold water, and then as soon 

 as possible be worked with the hands in the same 

 manner as dough, which treatment clarifies it. 

 Should the result be too stiff it can be melted up 



again with more wax and spermaceti. 

 Brown hard varnish is best for fixing the whipped 

 silk, which can be bought, or made by dissolving 

 shellac in methylated spirit. 

 Ha\dng selected a hook of the required size test its 

 strength and pliability or spring by sticking the point 

 into a bit of soft deal, putting sufficient strain on the 

 shank to achieve your purpose, then take a piece of 

 double or treble twisted gut (we prefer the latter) of 

 about the required length, and lastly a double thickness 

 of the fine whipping-silk well waxed. 



Holding the hook either in the hand or vice three or 

 four turns of the waxed silk should be wound up the 

 naked hook from the bend to shoulder, thus making it 



