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the finger and thumb of your left-hand, take 

 your silk with the right, and twisting it 

 betwixt the finger and thumb of that hand, the 

 dubbing will spin itself about the silk, which, 

 when it has done, whip it about the armed- 

 hook backward, till you come to the setting on 

 of the wings.* And then take the feather for 

 the wings, and divide it equally into two parts ; 

 then turn them back towards the bend of the 

 hook, the one on the one side, and the other 

 on the other, of the shank, holding them fast 

 in that posture, betwixt the fore-finger and 

 thumb of your left-hand; and then take the 

 silk betwixt the finger and thumb of your right- 

 hand, and, where the warping ends, pinch . or 

 nip it with your thumb-nail against your 

 finger, and strip away the remainder of your 

 dubbing from the silk ; and then, with the bare 

 silk, whip it once or twice about; make the 

 wings to stand in due order, fasten, and cut it 

 off. After which, with the point of a needle, 



* The learner will perceive, that Mr. Cotton proceeds in 

 the same way as we do, as far as the setting on of the 

 wings ; but that afterwards he whips the silk along the 

 hook as far as the bend ; then he twists on his dubbing, 

 retracing his steps towards the wings, and fastens and fin- 

 ishes at the point of the shank. In our method the fly is 

 finished by the time Mr. C. begins to put on his dubbing, 

 or before he has completed one half of his operations. Our 

 fly will of necessity be more delicate in shape, and will be 

 every tittle as solidly attached to the hook. 

 G 



