head. I know from experience it is not possible to set 

 the wings well upright, like the natural fly, if they are put 

 on last. It may do for a sunk fly, but not for a floater. 

 As a rule I make all bodies of fles first. For a dubbing 

 or wool body I twist it sparingly on the waxed silk, and 

 wrap up from the tail to the shoulder, tapering the body 

 and setting the wings on as described before. I strongly 

 recommend every angler to learn to dress a fly. He may 

 have with him a well-stocked book of flies, but he will 

 find, as I have frequently found in the course of my 

 practice, they are not of the exact colour. " The fish 

 may be well on the feed," but the angler will only get 

 one occasionally. Be particular as to size and colour, 

 and don't mind if they are not dressed artistically. They 

 will tell on the basket, and the circumstance will add 

 much to the day's sport. In dressing buzz or hackle 

 flies I make the bodies first, and form the head with two 

 or three turns of tying silk. I then tie the hackle in at 

 a proper distance from the head, and either take two or 

 three turns with the hackle close together, or carry it half 

 way down the body, according to fancy. But in no case 

 should it be finished off at the head, as the fly will wear 

 so much better finished off behind the hackle. In making 

 wool or dubbing bodies, be particular to well test (that is, 

 to pick it apart with the fingers) and blend the colours 

 together thoroughly, so that no one colour predominates. 



