378 The Trouts of America 



and to make it waterproof. Don't tie your bind- 

 ing silk at all until the fly is finished, then put a 

 couple of half-hitches only, for if you have put 

 a proper amount of shoemaker's wax on your 

 binding thread you will not need any knots, as 

 when you drop the thread at different stages it 

 will stick of its own accord and not become loose. 



We will now try an ordinary brown hackle or 

 palmer fly with a red silk body. Wrap on your 

 snood as before explained, and carry your bind- 

 ing silk well down to the bend of the hook. 

 Attach a short piece of gold tinsel, and after giv- 

 ing it two or three turns around the bend of the 

 hook, fasten it and cut off the end. This tinsel 

 is not absolutely necessary, but a slight show of 

 the bright metal at the end of the body of all 

 flies gives a finish and makes a better-looking 

 lury. 



Prepare your hackle (a brown one) by stroking 

 back the fibres, so as to leave the point free, and 

 fasten it right above the tinsel. Then, after 

 having fastened a piece of red silk next to the 

 hackle (the silk should be split as described be- 

 fore), carry your binding thread forward to the 

 end of the shank. This may be accomplished 

 by giving it two or three turns around the body. 



