37 6 The Trouts of America 



a hackle feather, which for this fly must be dyed 

 scarlet Hold it at the extreme point by the 

 thumb and finger of one hand, and with the 

 other thumb and finger stroke down the fibres of 

 the feather toward the butt, thus leaving the point 

 standing out by itself. Catch this point now to 

 your fly by a couple of turns of the binding silk, 

 and your work should look like Figure 4. 



We have now reached the point where the 

 most difficult work of fly-tying begins, that of 



putting on the 

 hackle properly. 

 Take your hackle 

 feather by the 

 stem and wind it 

 once around the 

 hook; wind from 

 you. Then with 



FIG your left thumb 



and finger smooth 



back toward the bend of the hook the part that 

 is wound. Hold it in that position and give your 

 hackle a second turn, then repeat the holding back 

 process and another turn. Continue this until you 

 have sufficient hackle on to form the legs of your 

 fly and fasten the end by two turns of your bind- 



