28 SALMON AND TROUT. 



only, because on a bare hook there were no feathers to inter* 

 fere with the manipulation, and no one had discovered any 

 way of producing it, like the plain jam knot, automatically. A 

 method has now been discovered, and the process is even 

 simpler and quicker than the other. Thus : take the fly in 

 the left hand, with the eye turned upwards (position shown in 

 the cut). Pass the gut through the eye, towards the hook- 

 bend; make a half-hitch or ' half-knot ' as represented, Fig. 

 B; and drawing in and tightening the main link with the third 

 and fourth fingers of the right hand, and * humouring ' the gut 

 the while, push, with the finger and thumb, the l noose ' 

 (which forms itself in the act), over the eye, and pull taut. 



FIG, B. AUTOMATIC WAY OF TYING THE ' HALF-HITCH JAM KNOT.' 



* " The knot shown in principle in Fig. A will then be 

 found to have practically and perfectly arranged itself round 

 the neck of the eye, which it * grips ' like grim death. 



' "The 'set' of the fly on gut thus tied is excellent; nor 

 does it matter from which side of the main link the knot form- 

 ing the half hitch jam is tied, the result will always be the 

 same. It would appear, in fact, almost impossible to tie it 

 wrongly. 



' " N.B. The gut should always, of course, be properly 

 soaked. 



' "As to a minor detail; when the knot is pulled tight, the 

 spare end of the gut will point backwards, towards the fly-tail, 

 so as to mix with the hackles, and be out of sight ; whilst in 

 the original simple jam knot the gut end stood out more or 

 less at right angles, 



