THE COMPLETE ANGLER. 139 



self and rod too will be the least offensive to the 

 fish, for the sight of any shade amazes the fish 

 and spoils your sport, of which you must take great 

 care. 



In the middle of March, till which time a man 

 should not in honesty catch a trout, or in April, if 

 the weather be dark or a little windy or cloudy, 

 the best fishing is with the palmer-worm, of which 

 I last spoke to you ; but of these there be divers 

 kinds, or at least of divers colors. These and the 

 May-fly are the ground of all fly-angling, which are 

 to be thus made : 



First, you must arm 1 your hook with the line in 

 the inside of it ; then take your scissors, and cut 

 so much of a brown mallard's feather as in your 

 own reason will make the wings of it, you having 

 withal regard to the bigness or littleness of your 

 hook ; then lay the outmost part of your feather 

 next to your hook, then the point of your feather 

 next the shank of your hook, and having so done, 

 whip it three or four times about the hook with 

 the same silk with which your hook was armed ; 

 and having made the silk fast, take the hackle of a 

 cock's or a capon's neck, or a plover's top, which is 

 usually better, take off the one side of the feather, 

 and then take the hackle, silk, or crewel, gold or 

 silver thread, make these fast at the bent of the 

 hook, that is to say, below your arming ; then 

 you must take the hackle, the silver or gold thread, 

 and work it up to the wings, shifting or still removing 



1 To tie, or whip round. 



