56 SALMON FLIES 



it should be of the proper shape i.e., the 

 fibres at the base of the central quill should be 

 longer than those at the tip, and there should 

 be a gradual and uniform shortening of the 

 fibres from base to tip. so that when they have 

 been stroked backwards, the whole feather 

 looks like a broad spear-head. To add that 

 the hackle should be supple is needless, and 

 would merely be repeating the necessity of 

 choosing feathers from birds in good condition, 

 those from moulting or debilitated birds being 

 dull to look at and brittle to handle. 



Furnace and Cochybondhu hackles are ob- 

 tained from cross-bred Dorking and Red Game 

 cocks. The furnace hackle at its best is a 

 deep reddish-brown with a very dark brown, 

 almost black, centre or " list." The cochy- 

 bondhu is similar, with the addition of dark 

 brown or black tips to the fibres. They are 

 difficult to procure good in the large and small 

 sizes, though the intermediate sizes are not so 

 very difficult to obtain. They are chiefly used 

 in sombre-coloured patterns, such as are used 

 in Wales and the West Highlands of Scotland. 



Badger hackles come from cross - bred 

 Dorking cocks, and are white or creamy, 



