44 



HO W TO TIE SALMON FLIES. 



shown in fig. 23 (the finger and thumb are 

 grasping the hook and feather at the same time) ; 

 take hold of the tying silk, and, keeping it tight, 

 just move the thumb sufficiently to admit the silk 

 to pass upwards between it and the hook ; then 

 close it to the hook again, wind on, move the 

 forefinger momentarily to let the silk pass down 

 between it and the hook ; then squeeze the thumb 

 and finger gently to the hook, while you pull the 

 tying silk down tight. Repeat this once more, 

 remove the left hand, and if correctly done, the 



Fig. 24. 



fibres will appear as shown, straight on the top of 

 the hook. Cut the stumps off as close as pos- 

 sible, holding the scissors along the hook shank, 

 not across it ; now, wind one more turn of the 

 tying silk, and varnish. 



Instead of strips of two feathers, single strands 

 from any number of different feathers can be tied 

 on in the same way ; always taking care to keep 



