54 SALMON FLIES 



falls in this, as in other matters, sometimes 

 occur. For instance, quite recently I acquired, 

 among other by no means negligible odds and 

 ends in the shape of feathers and furs, forty 

 dozen barred Summer Duck feathers for the 

 sum of one guinea. Barred Summer Duck 

 feathers, I should mention, for the benefit of 

 the uninitiated, are listed at 4s. 6d. to 5s. per 

 dozen. Even more recently I became the 

 possessor of two of the most perfect heads and 

 necks of Golden Pheasant I ever saw for the 

 paltry sum of 7s. 6d. This, however, was 

 through the influence of a "friend at court." 

 A very useful individual is the " friend at 

 court." 



I now propose to deal briefly with the 

 materials which the amateur can justifi- 

 ably regard as meeting all reasonably prac- 

 tical requirements, and I will begin the list 

 with 



HACKLES. Hackles, from the fly-dresser's 

 point of view, may be classed as (1) translucent, 

 or fine-fibred viz., cock's hackles ; (2) opaque, 

 or coarse-fibred e.g., Teal, Gallina, and Jay ; 

 and (3) those that do not come under either 

 category, and are best regarded as of a special 



