4S8 THE HACKLE. 



herls, and wind them round and round the hook side by 

 side, up to the silk, when seize them down with two or 

 three turns of the silk and a half hitch (see Plate XIV. 

 fig. 2) ; cut off the refuse herl, not too closely ; and toucli 

 the fastening with a drop of shellac varnish to make all 

 secure. Then take hold of the hackle either with the 

 finger or spring tweezers, and taking care that the fibres 

 point in the right direction, wind it carefully on up to 

 the head of the fly, until it reaches the silk, pressing the 

 fibres down so that they point tailwards while doing so ; 

 then seize it down and tie off as in the case of the herl 

 (nee Plate XIV. fig. 3) ; cut otf the refuse, not too closely, 

 leaving a scrap of the quill still on, which lap over and tie 

 down firmly, finishing off with the silk to the end of the 

 hook ; snip the silk off and touch the tie with varnish, and 

 you have a red palmer. 



Of course all other palmers are -tied in the same way. 

 When they are very large and thick fibred, two or more 

 hackles are used. Some tie them both on together, and 

 wind them on at the same time; and some use one up 

 first, and then tie on another. The first plan is the best. 



A winged fly is simply a palmer with the addition of 

 wings, and with three-quarters of the legs taken away 

 (fig. 4 shows the wings simply added). For the legs of 

 an ordinary fly, prepare a small piece of hackle of the 

 requisite length of fibre ; tie the end on at that part of the 

 hook where the thorax of the fly would be. This may be 



when the hackle is to be Cither from the middle of the body or at the 

 shoulder only : this plan makes the body less clumsy. Of course, if it is 

 to run from head to tail or tail to head rather the hackle should be tied 

 in at the same time as the herl or crewel. As it is very liable to break 

 and the body then comes to pieces, to prevent this, some persons spin the 

 herls round on the silk by twirling them together; then turning them on 

 the hook silk and all, and avoiding the hackle, carry silk and herl to the 

 head simultaneously, and tie off the herl with the silk without trouble, and 

 snip off the end. 



