THE JOLLY ANGLER. 87 



shank first, and then the gold twist after, making them 

 both fast together, thus : By follow- * 



ing this description, you may make a ""'' 



great variety of Palmers ; and take my 

 word for it, from the Land's End to 

 John o' Groats, there are few rivers where a Palmer does 

 not bear the palm. I keep them of all colours and sizes, 

 and use them early and late, in preference to any other, 

 the May-fly*, in season, not always excepted. If ever 

 the winged flies supersede the Palmer, it is in clear water 

 during the middle of the day. The white moth is a likely 

 one towards dusk ; but even here, a large white, rough 

 Palmer answers every purpose. 



I will now give you Bowlker's description how to make 

 a Winged Fly. First, hold your hook fast between the 

 fore finger and thumb of your left hand, with the back of 

 the shank upwards, and the point towards your right 

 hand; then take a strong, small silk, of the colour most 

 predominant in the fly you intend to make; wax it well 

 with wax of the same colour, and draw it between your 

 finger and thumb to the end of the shank ; then whip it 

 twice or thrice about the bare hook, which prevents its 

 slipping, and the shank of the hook from cutting the gut ; 

 which being done, take your gut, and draw it likewise 

 between your finger and thumb, holding the hook so fast 

 as only to suffer it to pass by, till the end of the gut is 

 near the middle of the shank of the hook, on the inside of 

 it ; then whip the silk twice or thrice about both gut and 

 hook, as firm as the strength of the silk will permit; 

 after that take the wings, which, before you began to 

 make the fly, you had stripped of the stem for its wings ; 

 and proportional to it, and which lay with your other 

 materials by you+ (as you always should before you 

 begin), and place that side downwards, which grew upper- 

 most before, upon the back of the hook, leaving so much 

 only, to serve for the length of the wings, of the point of 



* I have then had good sport with a rough-bodied, pale, yellow 

 Palmer, on a No. 6 hook. 



t Before you commence a fly, get ready as many pair of wings 

 (with one or two to spare) as you are going to make flies, as well 

 as other materials in proportion, lay them by your side, and it will 

 save time as well as prevent mistakes. 

 H 2 



