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hackle, or, what is better than all, a good furnace hackle ; 

 wings from the hen pheasant centre tail feather, dressed 

 full and rather long ; hook, No. 4, or smaller. I have 

 made an improvement in this fly, and will try to describe 

 it. Use mulberry-coloured silk, waxed with white wax. 

 After wrapping the gut down firm carry the silk back to 

 the head. Set in one broad strand of bronze-coloured 

 peacock herl, leaving sufficient bare hook to wing and 

 head upon. I only use one strand of herl, for if it is 

 kept on the edge and wrapped close and even, not one 

 wrap on another, it makes a much better body than when 

 two or three herls are wrapped down together. I 

 generally work my tying silk down with the herl, as it 

 strengthens it, and may prevent the herl unravelling after 

 being used. I finish off at the bend of the hook, as I 

 like the body of this fly to be rather long. Finish off 

 firmly with two wraps and two knots, and cut the silk off. 

 Set another length of silk in at the head, leaving plenty 

 of bare hook to wing upon. Tie the quill end of hackle 

 in close up to the peacock herl give it two or three turns 

 and fasten off with two knots ; cut off the end of the 

 hackle, pass the silk up to the head, and snip some of the 

 fibres of the hackle off, at the top of the hook, to allow 

 the wings to lay flat. I then take a centre feather from 

 the hen pheasant's tail, take off the fluff (and no more, as 

 that soft part nearest the root is the best to wing with), 

 divide a broad piece, get the ends even without disarranging 

 the fibres, and, holding it tight in the finger and thumb, 

 take it off the quill with a sharp twitch. Lay it down and 

 take off another piece in a similar way ; lay it on the top 



