TYING SALMON-FLIES 361 



A vice is most useful for tying salmon-flies, 

 when laying on the wings ; when making the 

 bodies it can be dispensed with. If used for this 

 purpose it should, however, be very firm and 

 strong, and as fine in the jaws as is compatible 

 with these two essentials. 



Whenever floss-silk is used for bodies or tags, 

 it must be laid on so as to present a flat, smooth, 

 shining surface, and any silver twist used for tags 

 must be bound in close, firm coils, the spaces 

 which may be observed between the latter being 

 filled up by pushing the coils close together. The 

 brilliancy of the metal is thus materially increased. 



In preparing hackles for tying on, the two 

 sides of the feather should be drawn together by 

 the fingers. The stem of the feather will thus 

 be left uppermost. It is a somewhat difficult 

 operation. The best plan is to put the butt-end 

 of the hackle in a vice, and holding the point of 

 the feather between the finger and thumb of the 

 left hand, to draw the fibres of both sides down- 

 wards and towards the point with the sides of the 

 thumb and forefinger of the right hand. The 

 fibres must never be wetted. The appearance of 

 a hackle thus treated is vastly superior to one 

 which has been stripped on one side or wound 

 on without any preparation. In the former case 

 it is too meagre and thin ; in the latter, rough 

 and untidy. 



