CHAPTER XII. 



FLY MAKING. 



IN those chapters devoted to the SalmonidoB, I gave directions, so far as 

 materials were concerned, only for the manufacture of such flies as I 

 considered worthy the chief place in the tackle basket of the practical 

 fisherman. I also referred, in the chapter on Pike, to the possibility of 

 taking these fish with a nondescript fly, similiar in principle to that used 

 for salmon, although in general appearance more gaudy and of easier 

 arrangement, as befits a fish of much more vulgarity and less value in 

 every way. 



As I have just been primarily treating on the capture of this predatory 

 fish, perhaps before adverting to the "fine art" of fly-making for the 

 Salmonidce, I had better give such directions as occur to me for the 

 manufacture of a pike fly. As I before intimated in the chapter on Pike, 

 a degree of finesse in the arrangement of this fly, if by such term it may 

 be dignified, is not necessary. In fact briefly it may be averred that the 

 gaudier and more flaunting the production is, the better are results 

 likely to be. An effective pike fly may be made up as fat and rough as 

 the maker's fancy directs. Many light coloured pigs' wool, cock hackles, 

 beads and tinsel of silver and gold may be blended, and the body thus 

 made may be supplemented by wings of the peacock's mooneyed feathers. 

 The whole should be as large as a small canary. Double hooks or a 

 light well tempered triangle, somewhat large sized, may be employed, 

 and the affair is complete. 



More than this anent pike flies need not be said, except, perhaps, that 

 they are not very productive, unless in exceptional cases, such as I have 

 previously referred to. 



Since writing the observations on the results of the pike fly, on page 

 160, I have learned to despise a gaudily made pike fly much less. As 

 an artificial bait in summer, when Esox Lucius is somnolently enjoy- 



