14 ANGLING. 



the hackle close up to the wings, and fasten by one or two loops ; 

 then divide the wings, and pass the silk between them, pulling 

 them back to their proper position, and finishing the head; fasten 

 off by one or two loops. 



The Irish tie over the roots of the wings, which interferes with 

 their action in the water and renders them lifeless. 



If the wings are placed at once in their natural position, and the 

 fly is to be finished at the head, the gut must be tied on the hook, 

 beginning near the head, and finishing at. the tail; twist on the 

 body up to the legs, fasten on the hackle by the point, finish the 

 body and the legs, and then apply and fasten^the wings; and, 

 when properly divided, cut off the but-ends, finish the head, and 

 fasten off your silk by t one or two loops. This concludes the 

 method of making the winged fly. 



TO MAKE THE PALMER OR HACKLE FLY. 



The making of the Palmer or Hackle-fly, with the cock's or 

 hen's feathers, is pimply as described in the foregoing methods, 

 namely, by twisting on the legs and body, taking care that^ the 

 hackle has fibres as long as, or rather longer than the hook it is to 

 be twisted upon. 



But in making hackle-flies with the feathers of other birds, 

 such as the snipe, dotterel, &c., the feather is prepared by stripping 

 off the superfluous fibres at the but-end, and then drawing back a 

 sufficient quantity of fibre to make the fly. Take the feather by 

 the root, and put the whole of the fibres into your mouth and wet 

 them, so that they may adhere together, back to back. When the 

 gut is fastened to the hook, then twist it twice or thrice round the 

 hook, and fasten it by one or more loops ; the fibres of the feather 

 will then lie the reverse way. Cut off the superfluous parts of the 

 feather that remain after tying, and twist on the body of the 

 required length ; fasten by two loops ; draw down the fibres of the 

 feather to the bend, and the fly is finished. 



If the tinsel, or gold, or silver twist be required for the body of 

 the fly, it must be tied on after the hackle, but carried round the 

 body before the hackle makes the legs. If the tinsel be required 

 only at the tail of the fly, it must be tied on immediately after the 

 srut and hook are put together, the hackle next, then the body, 

 &c. &c. 



And here we think is the proper place to make an observation 

 or two about the fitness or expediency of making tackle at home. 

 Many things have altered their aspects within the last half-cen- 

 tury, and fishing-tackle making and selling is one of these. In 

 former times and the thing is now the case in remote districts t of 

 the country a fisher was almost laid under a fixed necessity 

 to manufacture his own rods, and lines, and flies ; but now the 



