408 HACKLING. 



the hackling or to give variety of colour to the fly, the 

 best plan will be to tie them in to their respective places 

 while lashing on the gut ; separate pieces of silk might 

 subsequently be used, but the more work you can get out 

 of the single strand the better, and the less bulky and 

 'clumsy the fly will be. lie sure, however, where a junc- 

 tion of hackles is to be effected, to carefully compare the 

 length of the fibres, so that the hackling may graduate 

 properly. To this end the fine point of the second hackle 

 for some distance will have to be eschewed. But all this 

 the fly tyer will discover after a failure or two. 



And now as to the putting on of a hackle. There are 

 various methods adopted. First, if the hackle be not 

 wanted very thickly on the fly, one side is stripped off, as 

 is described in the directions to the trout flies. Take care 

 you strip off the right side is a caution I must repeat. To 

 make a hackle lie very neatly and well upon the fly, it is 

 best to prepare it as is also described in the direction for 

 tying trout flies. Sometimes, though not often, two hackles 

 of a different colour are used at the same time. Having 

 4 prepared ' them both, lay one lengthwise within the other, 

 and wind them both on at the same time. I may state 

 here that this is a good plan, \vherevery thick hackling is 

 desired, as in palmers, for club-fishing, for example. 



One of the most difficult hackles to strip and make 

 ready for the hook is the small blue barred feather in the 

 jay's wing. It requires to be stripped with great care 

 so as to take off as much of the quill as possible without 

 weakening the feather too much ; the process is much the 

 same with grouse or bustard. Though these are not 

 always stripped, select the proper side, separate the fibres 

 on one side or the other near the top, and then pull them 

 steadily apart as evenly as possible, so as to strip off one 

 side of the feather entirely. If too much of the quill be 

 left on near the but of the feather, so that it would roll on 



