THE RED QUILL. 41 



and keep in my right-hand coat pocket. I snip off the 

 gut as close to the eye of the hook as I can, cutting the 

 knot if possible, and, after clearing out the gut from the 

 eye of the hook, stick the fly into my cap, just where 

 you see two or three more flies of the same colour. I place 

 the end of the gut in my mouth to soften while I detach 

 the Red Quill I showed you in my hat. I take it firmly 

 between the finger and thumb, and work it gently, and it 

 readily comes free from the rough material of my cap. I 

 now take the end of the softened gut from my mouth, run 

 it through the eye of the fly, bringing it right round the 

 gut cast above where it enters the eye, and make an 

 overhand knot, enclosing in this knot the threaded part 

 only.* I use as small an end as possible and draw it taut, 

 then close the loop thus made taut on the cast, and last of 

 all, pulling gently on the cast, draw the knot close to the 

 eye of the fly and cut off the spare end close to the knot. 

 The Red Quill fly must now be oiled, and the remainder 

 of the oil on the brush can be used on the cast and line 

 as before. We are now ready again ; the scissors are closed, 

 the knife I have placed in my pocket, the cork is in the oil 

 bottle, and I take my rod, lift the spear out of the ground, get 

 my length, and cast again. Now watch ! There ! He has 

 risen, you see, and this time, by a slight turn of my wrist, I 

 have hooked the trout, and before he has time to realise what 

 is the matter I have drawn him below and away from the 



* See Diagram 6A, page twenty-six. 



