PRACTICAL FLY-FISHER. 7 



turn a useful yellowish green, much like decayed weeds 

 or leaves in Autumn. 



Hair that is colourless, round, and transparent, is 

 almost invaluable ; good hair may sometimes be found 

 tinged black, or chesnut ; and when round and strong, 

 should be prized accordingly. 



With hair capable of lifting easily a pound weight, 

 an expert angler will kill a fish much heavier, provided 

 the river be roomy and free from incumbrances ; and 

 according to my experience, the finer the tackle, the 

 more rises you are likely to have : moreover the excite- 

 ment experienced in killing a large fish with fine tackle 

 is " double refined" in comparison to that of hauling 

 him out as with a cart rope. 



OF THE METHOD OF MAKING AETIFICIAL FLIES. 



THE simplest form of Fly-making is the plain hackled 

 fly, which is performed as follows. 



Get a Snipe's wing, in the inside of which you will 

 find six or eight fine bright feathers, an inch and quarter 

 long, tipt with white ; take one of the feathers, strip 

 off part of the fibre towards the root, turn part of the 

 remaining fibre the contrary way, (rejecting the white,) 

 draw it through your lips, slightly wetting it at the 



same time, it will lie thus ; 



and answer for wings and legs to the fly. Wax a quar- 

 ter yard of fine yellow silk, it will arm your gut, and 



