6 PRACTICAL FLY-FISHER. 



tweezers, (useful for taking up hooks or other small 

 articles ;) and a phleme, such as is used in bleeding 

 horses (useful for cutting off superfluous hair, silk, 

 or feather). 



A pair of small pointed scissors. 



A dubbing needle made by putting the thick 

 end of a large needle into a stick. 



Two or three pairs of small nippers. 



A stout knitting-needle will make two pairs, they 

 are of the greatest service for holding small feathers, 

 hackles, &c. 



Some fly-makers use a small vice, I prefer the 

 fingers. 



ON DYEING FEATHERS FOR FLY-MAKING. 



FOR dyeing feathers ; always be careful to use clear, 

 soft water : to strike the colour, add to each pint of 

 water a piece of alum about the size of a walnut. 



To dye white feathers yellow ; boil them in onion 

 peel or saffron. Bloa feathers, as the quill of a starling, 



