2O THE ART OF FLY TYING. 



hackle. Now take the mallard feather and hold 

 it between the thumb and finger of the left hand 

 by its point, and draw the fibres back from the 

 point towards the quill until the side of the 

 feather is square or parallel, and each fibre is at 

 a right angle to the quill; on doing this properly 

 depends largely the appearance of the fly after 



it is finished. (See cut.) If you will examine a 

 feather with the microscope you will find each 

 and every fibre contains hooks on each of its 

 sides which lock into the fibre next to it, and our 

 object in drawing them back is to unhook these 

 and cause them to re-lock themselves in a dif- 

 ferent position. 



Now cut with the scissors close to the. quill the 

 quantity required, which for a trout fly would be 

 about one-half of an inch, double it with the 

 underpart of the feather inside. (See cut on 

 next page). 



