PLEASANT OCCUPATION FOR A WET DAY 193 



half an hour's work will suffice to replenish his 

 book. 



It is fascinating, pretty work, and forms a 

 pleasant occupation for a wet day. Many a time 

 I have had cause to be thankful that I could so 

 employ my leisure hours when hopeless weather 

 has kept me indoors in some shooting or fishing 

 quarters. While my companions have been bored 

 to death, and have read and smoked until they 

 could do so no longer, I have found the day, 

 so wearying to them, seem all too short for me, 

 and have been able not only to amuse myself 

 profitably, but often to do a good turn to others 

 by replenishing their dwindling stock of arti- 

 ficials. 



My advice to everyone who is anxious to learn 

 to make his own flies is, first to procure Mr. 

 Halford's work on the subject it is somewhat 

 expensive, but it is indeed well worth its price, 

 and it will be money well spent to read it care- 

 fully, and also at the very first opportunity to go 

 to some good professional fly-tyer, and obtain a 

 few lessons from him. There is no royal road to 

 anything, tying flies especially ; but this will be 

 found the shortest and broadest, and will save 

 the amateur many hours and weeks of wasted 

 labour, and many a heart-breaking disappoint- 

 ment. 



There are some few observations which I wish 



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