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closely under the thumb of the left-hand, and 

 the fibres which may be entangled picked out 

 by means of a needle. The silk, with the dub- 

 bing, must now be twisted over the end of the 

 hackle (with the left-thumb kept down), until 

 the body of the fly is of the length required, 

 taking care that it never proceeds beyond the 

 bend of the hook, which would give it an 

 unnatural appearance. A single loop will keep 

 the whole together, until the dubbing be pick- 

 ed out, and the hackle properly arranged, when 

 the fastening off must be effected, by making 

 three or four loose turns of the silk, at such a 

 distance from the hook, as to admit of the end 

 being passed under them. 



" The loose turns must then be wrapped 

 closely on the hook, and the end drawn tight, 

 which will so completely secure the fastening, 

 that, if neatly managed, it will be difficult to 

 discover where the fly has been finished. This 

 mode of fastening is called the ' invisible' knot. 



" In making a winged fly, the same method 

 may be adopted with respect to whipping the 

 hook to the gut, as far as the fastening in the 

 hackle; after which, instead of returning im- 

 mediately with the silk, in order to form the 

 head of the fly, the wings must be fastened 

 before the dubbing is wound. Some persons 

 fix the wings to the hook with the root nearest 



