68 Fly-Dressing. 



Many fly-dressers finish off at the tail, but the 

 result is unsatisfactory. The fly won't be long in 

 use till the trout have torn open the fastenings 

 and exposed the cheat. When it is finished at the 

 wings, the work stands much longer. I always use 

 floss silk folded to the thickness required, slightly 

 twisted, and well waxed. Some dressers use scissors 

 to remove the surplus fibre ; but by placing the nail 

 of the left thumb under it, close to the end of the 

 hook, and cutting it off with a sharp penknife, a 

 much neater finish is made. Flies dressed in the 

 way I have described, may be crushed or ruffled in 

 the book or pocket almost to any extent without 

 detriment to their killing qualities ; for whenever 

 they are placed in the water, they at once assume 

 their original form, the wings set themselves widely 

 apart, and stand out on the surface of the stream 

 with all the appearance of life. The only possible 

 objection to the method is its tediousness ; but 

 though this objection may have some weight with 

 dressers who are not anglers, it can have no weight 

 at all with the enthusiastic fly-fisher who dresses 

 his own flies. 



