400 FUR DUBBIXGS. 



and exposed to the gaze of the fish. Lay the strips side 

 by side, and hold them between the finger and thumb. 

 Then nip the buts of the feathers with the other finger 

 and thumb, so as to get the wing into as good a shape as 

 possible for tying on. Lay the feathers to the hook, and 

 take two or three turns of the silk firmly over them to 

 secure them, and if the set of the wings be satisfactory, 

 part them with a needle, and clip off the refuse. It is 

 always advisable to make flies not less than twelve hours 

 before using, so as to allow the varnish to set. Some flies 

 require tails, and some tinsel to mark the joints of the Hy. 

 When this is the case, after lashing on the gut and taking 

 one half hitch to secure it, lay the tail to the hook just 

 above the bend it is usually composed of two or three 

 fibres of some feather and lap it on securely. Tie in the 

 tinsel with the dubbing (see Plate XIV. fig. 5); and after 

 having wound on the dubbing and fastened it off, wind the 

 tinsel on spirally, with a gap between each turn, and tie 

 off in the same way as the dubbing. A complete fly of 

 this kind is shown in fig. 6. In some flies it is the custom 

 to wind on the tinsel the reverse way to the hackle, and 

 by winding it over the hackle the hackle is bound on very 

 securely indeed, which if it be a weak one is very advan- 

 tageous. 



As various materials are used for the bodies or dubbing 

 of trout flies, different methods of applying them must be 

 adopted. Where herl, or quill, or silk is used, the process 

 is tolerably simple ; but fur of some kind as hare's ear, 

 water-rat's, or mole's fur, &c. is occasionally used, and 

 when this is the case, the following plan is adopted : Pick 

 out as much fur as is required ; break it up, and pull it 

 well to mix it thoroughly ; distribute it in a little row or 

 heap along the palm of the hand ; then rub it backwards 

 and forwards between the hands, or with two fingers, until 

 it hangs together in something like consistency (see Plate 



