FLIES AND FLY TYING. 493 



For flies, the old system of lapping was thoroughly 

 bad. Flies should be tied wholly independent of the 

 gut, or anything connected with the line. The tying 

 of a fly should have absolutely nothing to carry, except 

 its own feathers, as an old fly tied on in the ordinary 

 way will almost always draw, when the wax and 

 lapping become dried up. The gut should be soaked 

 and attached to the eye of the hook when the fly is 

 wanted for use, and until then the fly should remain 

 " unmounted. " 



In hot damp climates the ordinary blued hooks are 

 apt to rust sadly. Travellers' hooks should therefore 

 always be dipped in some good varnish to preserve 

 them as far as possible from corrosion. It is said that 

 " enamelled rust-proof hooks " however, are manufactured 

 by Messrs. Allcock and Co. of Redditch. * We trust 

 that it may be so, but we are inclined to believe that 

 there are no better or more useful hooks for travellers 

 than tinned sea-hooks, and any sort of hook of course 

 can be tinned. Some fishermen might be disposed to 

 object to them on the score of appearance, but tinned 

 hooks are preferable to rusty hooks, and in many 

 parts of the world all articles of iron or steel rust 

 terribly if long kept in stock, and rusty hooks soon 

 become quite unserviceable. 



An assortment of brazed triangle hooks will be wanted 

 for arming spoons, etc. These will have to be carried 

 in boxes to preserve them from injury. The brazing of 

 those sold in shops is often sadly deficient. This will 

 require to be seen to, and should receive special 

 attention. Triangle hooks should never be attached 

 to tackle until wanted for use. Extra strong ones, 



* The Rod in India, by H. S. Thomas, 1873, p. 242. 



