40 HOW TO TIE SALMON FLIES. 



depends. If you look at a feather, you will see 

 that the fibres on both sides of the shaft curve 

 naturally towards the point of the feather. As an 

 example, take the two mallard feathers shown ; the 



r 



Fig. 20. 



curve is more denned in these feathers (which 

 are taken from the flanks) than in others, although 

 it is there more or less in all feathers. 



The feather on the right of the illustration is 

 taken from the right side of the bird, the other 

 from the left. Now, when using strips or strands 

 for wings or tails, the fly-tyer must always be 

 careful to put them on their proper side of the 

 hook. As an illustration of this, suppose that you 

 want to tie on a tail consisting of strips of summer 

 duck, curved up like a topping, cut off a narrow 

 strip from a right side feather and from a left, 

 place them back to back, the one exactly covering 

 the other, the best side of both outwards. They 

 will coincide, which is what they should do. 

 Suppose, now, that instead of taking a right and 

 left strip, you had taken two rights or two lefts, 



