198 ROD AND RIVER 



a jumble, it will be sure to have its revenge. 

 The fitting opportunity for putting it straight 

 never comes, and so things go on from bad to 

 worse. Good materials are spoiled, and the next 

 batch of flies, and perhaps every succeeding one 

 which may be required, have to be purchased. 



The necessary feathers, silks, tinsels, etc., for 

 the manufacture of trout -flies are not very 

 numerous, and occupy but little space if properly 

 kept ; nor are they expensive. One thing is very 

 certain, which is, that although a skilful hand may 

 succeed in making a tolerable job out of indifferent 

 materials, a beginner never can. 



Two more requisites remain to be noticed, viz., 

 scissors and tweezers. The first-named must be 

 good, and as fine-pointed as possible. Those re- 

 commended by Mr. Halford, and termed oculist's 

 scissors, are the best, and, being curved, are very 

 suitable for fly-dressing. 



As regards tweezers, I have found it a difficult 

 matter to procure them light and yet strong 

 enough to hold the point of a fine hackle when 

 being wound on the hook. They generally allow 

 it to slip at the last moment, and this is a serious 

 matter, as the hackle is thereby by no means 

 improved, and is not unfrequently ruined. Such 

 a disaster may necessitate the demolition of the 

 entire fly. I have ever so many pairs in my 

 possession, but only one of them is of any use ; 



