588 OCEAN, LAKE, AND RIVER. 



spring plier, or as some term it a pair of pliers, for holding the end 

 of a thread or hackle, and conveniently used for wrapping the lat- 

 ter on the hook. As to the materials, I will enumerate nearly all 

 that I use myself, and in the order in which they are applied to the 

 hooks. 



Wrapping Silk. — The finer, if strong, the better ; and although 

 the color should in some degree correspond to the other material 

 used, this is not of much consequence, as it is only seen in the few 

 slight wrappings at the head of the fly. 



Wax. — Do not use " cobbler's " wax. Take one ounce of the 

 clearest and lightest rosin you can procure, one drachm of gutta 

 percha, and one teaspoonful of linseed oil — the crude, not the boiled 

 — put them in a teacup (I use the lower part of a discarded tin 

 blacking box), heat them, stirring with a little stick the meanwhile 

 to have them thoroughly amalgamated, and then pour the hot com- 

 pound into a bowl of cold water. As soon as it has cooled suffi- 

 ciently, work and pull it, much as girls pull "taffy ; " this makes it 

 light colored and tough. If the gutta percha cannot be easily ob- 

 tained it may be omitted, but it adds to the toughness. To make 

 the wax softer for cold weather, add a few drops of oil. To make 

 it harder for warm weather, add, as you require, a little more 

 rosin. 



Hooks. — There is much difference of opinion as to their proper 

 shape for flies. Conroy declares for the O'Shaughnessy ; /. e., the 

 improved Limerick. I coincide with Conroy. The point of the 

 barb of the O'Shaughnessy has an outward projection. It is what 

 is called a hollow point, and the chances of hooking the fish are 

 thereby increased. The Kirby, the hooking quahty of which is 

 superior to all others, if short shanked, may be used for palmers 

 and hackles, but for winged flies the sideward inclination of the 

 point would give the wings of the fly " a list " to one side, and pre- 

 vent its floating on an "even keel." 



Cut — Should be fine for stretcher, and stout for drop flies ; for 

 the latter using a half length. If the droppers are intended to be 

 looped to the leader, the loops should be tied in each end of the 

 length after soaking the gut, the projecting end pulled tight and 

 cut off close, and then the length divided into two. For my own 

 use, and for my customers, I prefer gut dyed a neutral tint, which 



