difficult to obtain, but very necessary to the fly dresser 

 and angler. I have mine made specially for the purpose 

 by a silk manufacturer who is also an angler. Use silk 

 as near as possible to the colour of the natural fly you 

 copy.) To commence, fix your hook firm in the jaws of 

 the fly vice, leaving sufficient of the shank out to the 

 right to form the body of the fly. Put three turns of 

 waxed silk round the shank of the hook, leaving less 

 than the eighth of an inch bare hook to wing and head 

 upon. Take a length of gut, which for fineness should 

 correspond to the size of the hook ; test it by drawing it 

 through the hands or a piece of india-rubber, taking care 

 it is not flat or tawsy ; lay it underneath the hook, and 

 wrap down with the waxed silk close and even, not one 

 wrap on another, neither allow the silk to slack. The 

 smoother the foundation, the better the fly will look. 

 This refers more especially to floss silk and plain silk- 

 bodied flies. After wrapping down, try your gut with a 

 steady pull to see that it will not slip, for that is un- 

 pardonable. Avoid making the body too long. I would 

 rather see them a little too short than otherwise. If the 

 fly you wish to copy has tails, take three strands of a 

 large cock's hackle, either duns or reds ; secure them 

 with two wraps of silk, cut off the waste ends, give the 

 silk a twist and wrap close back up to the shoulder, still 

 leaving the bare hook to wing and head upon. This 

 is a plain silk body, which I prefer. (Dubbing or wool 

 bodies will be described hereafter.) Now for setting on 

 the wings, which is the most difficult part in making a 

 midge fly. We will commence with starling wing, which 



