84 THE PRACTICAL ANGLER 



rises exceedingly problematical. We have frequently 

 fished with a very small fly, say No. 15, and a larger 

 fly, say No. 12, of the same kind, and found that 

 though the smaller fly raised twice the number, it 

 did not secure so many as the larger one. We have 

 also tried dressing two flies of the same kind and 

 size, one on a No. 14 and the other on a No. 12 

 hook. The No. 12 was of course very much ex- 

 posed, notwithstanding which it did most execution. 

 This should be done very cautiously ; but by having 

 hooks made a size thinner in the wire, they may be 

 used one size larger with perfect safety. We have 

 endeavoured to indicate the proper size of hook in a 

 subsequent illustration. 



Great care should be taken to select the finest and 

 longest threads of gut for dressing flies on. When 

 the waters are clear, fine gut is quite as necessary as 

 good flies ; the finest gut, however lightly thrown, 

 will sometimes alarm the trout. 



Dressing a spider is a much simpler operation 

 than dressing a fly, and therefore it is better to 

 begin with it. Having selected a thread of gut and 

 a hook, the next thing is to choose a feather, which, 

 to make a neat spider, must be so proportioned to 

 the size of the hook that the legs of the spider, 

 when dressed, will be about the length of the hook. 

 Before commencing, bite the end of the gut between 

 your teeth ; this flattens and makes it broader in the 

 point, which prevents it slipping, a thing very liable 

 to occur with small flies. Next, take the hook 

 firmly between the forefinger and thumb of your 



