FLY-MAKING. 205 



close to the head ; pull off the superfluous mohair 

 with the fingers of the right hand and pass the silk 

 four turns over the upper end of the body, and 

 winding it towards the head slip it between the 

 gut and the hook. In this way you can always 

 secure the tying silk when you wish to lay down 

 your work. Spring the pliers on to the tinsel, and 

 with the right forefinger pass four even open coils 

 carefully and regularly ; unwind the silk, and having 

 secured the tinsel replace it. If these coils are im- 

 perfect or irregular, neatness cannot be obtained. 

 Having cut off the tinsel, catch with the spring pliers 

 the butt of the hackle and follow the edge of the 

 tinsel ; rolling the hackle on its back so that the 

 fibres shall point down the shank. When you reach 

 the shoulder pass several turns of the hackle close 

 above one another, and bringing down the tying silk 

 secure the butt. If one hackle is not sufficient, and 

 it rarely is, introduce a new hackle close above the 

 first, precisely as you did the other, only on its back, 

 and wind a sufficient number of close coils and again 

 fasten it. The second hackle, if weak, may be fas- 

 tened in on its back by the butt, and wound with the 

 point. 



The silk being hitched under the gut cut it off and 

 apply a new piece as you did the second, and wind 

 it towards the shoulder, letting it hang close down 

 to the hackle. Prepare the wings by cutting with 

 a sharp knife a few fibres from each of two mated 

 feathers, together with a little of the stem, so that 

 the fibres shall not be separated, and taking one 



