DRESSING A SALMON FLY 333 



slip out subsequently. It often happens that a turn or two of 

 floss silk will be added to the tag ; when tying off the tinsel 

 the end of a fragment of floss silk must be inserted in under the 

 tie and tied in, the tying silk still being worked back towards 

 the head. The floss is then served in the same fsahion as the 

 tinsel, and cut off. 



Then comes the tail, which is usually a small topping or 

 some other fragment of feather. If two or three sorts of feathers 

 or fibres be used, care must be taken to make them all lie 

 together and in the same direction, which is usually, in the case 

 of a topping or other whole feather, bending upwards and 

 slightly away from the bend of the hook. Having placed the 

 feathers on the back of the hook, take three laps of the silk and 

 a half hitch. If a butt is required as is often the case, as it 

 serves to set off and add brilliancy to the fly, besides hiding the 

 tie and the stump of the tail after taking two turns of the silk, 

 nip it with a pair of spring tweezers,* and let them hang down 

 so as to keep the silk in its place. Plate XXI, Fig. 8, shows the 

 spring tweezers holding the end of the hackle. Then take a 

 strand or two of peacock or ostrich herl, or whatever substance 

 be selected, tie on the end of it as in the former process (see 

 Plate XXII, Fig. 3), take two or three turns of it, taking care 

 that the fibres of the herl point towards the tail, and then tie 

 and fasten off. 



Next comes the body and the tinsel : as the simplest, we 

 will suppose that the body is of silk. Cut off enough floss to 

 make the body and to spare, also as much tinsel as may be 

 needed, and tie the ends of them in close down to the butt in 

 the usual way (see Plate XXII, Fig. 4) . If the hackle is to reach 

 from head to tail, the point of the hackle must also be tied in, 

 if only half or two-thirds of the way down the body, it can be 

 tied in after the silk and tinsel is tied in at its proper place, and 

 then left to hang (Fig. 4) . The tying silk is then wound on up 

 to the shoulder, and there hangs also until required. Now, 

 having clean fingers (for floss easily discolours and loses its 

 gloss if handled with soiled digits) , smooth the floss out and pull 

 it so that it lies perfectly even and flat, and then wind it care- 



* The fly here will require two pairs of them ; they should be short and 

 strong, and of the shape shown in Plate XXI, Fig. 8. He will also require 

 two pairs of scissors, one of a stoutish build, such as a pair of nail scissors, 

 for cutting rough feathers, tinsel, etc., and one very fine pair to nip off fine 

 fibres neatly. The points of these should always be in good order. They 

 should be kept in a leathern sheath, and out of the ken of all females, or they 

 will be looked on as lawful spoil and degraded to lace work, or to some hideous 

 muslin enchantment designed to entrap some wretched gudgeon. F. F. 



