The Compleat <Angler 



out thence by the wings, and bait them thus upon the hook. We 

 first take one (for we commonly fish with two of them at a time), and 

 putting the point of the hook into the thickest part of his body, 

 under one of his wings, run it directly through, and out at the other 

 side, leaving him spitted cross upon the hook ; and then taking the 

 other, put him on after the same manner, but with his head the 

 contrary way ; in which posture they will live upon the hook, and 

 play with their wings, for a quarter of an hour, or more : but you 

 must have a care to keep their wings dry, both from the water, and 

 also that your fingers be not wet when you take them out to bait 

 them, for then your bait is spoiled. 



Having now told you how to angle with this fly alive, I am now 

 to tell you next how to make an artificial fly, that will so perfectly 

 resemble him, as to be taken in a rough windy day, when no flies can 

 lie upon the water, nor are to be found about the banks and sides of 

 the river, to a wonder ; and with which you shall certainly kill the 

 best trout and grayling in the river. 



The artificial green-drake, then, is made upon a large hook, the 

 dubbing, camel's hair, bright bear's hair, the soft down that is combed 

 from a hog's bristles, and yellow camlet, well mixed together ; the 

 body long, and ribbed about with green silk, or rather yellow, waxed 

 with green wax ; the whisks of the tail, of the long hairs of sables, 

 or fitchet ; and the wings, of a white-grey feather of a mallard, dyed 

 yellow, which is also to be dyed thus : 



Take the root of a barbary tree, and shave it, and put to it woody 

 viss, with as much alum as a walnut, and boil your feathers in it with 

 rain water ; and they will be of a very fine yellow. 



I have now done with the green-drake, excepting to tell you, that 

 he is taken at all hours during his season, whilst there is any day 

 upon the sky ; and with a made-fly I once took, ten days after he 

 was absolutely gone, in a cloudy day, after a shower, and in a whistling 

 wind, five-and-thirty very great trouts and graylings, betwixt five and 

 eight of the clock in the evening, and had no less than five or six 

 flies, with three good hairs a-piece, taken from me in despite of my 

 heart, besides. 



12. I should now come next to the stone-fly, but there is another 



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