54 THE ART OF FISHING. 



back till you make them stick out like porcu- 

 pine's quills, or a chimney-sweeper's brush. 



We will now suppose the above articles on the 

 table before you (together with a needleful of 

 silk, ready waxed), that is to say, the hook, the 

 gut, the feathers for the fly's wings, the hackle 

 with the fine strand of silk attached to it as just 

 directed, the scissors, the dubbing (the latter 

 selected from your book, to match the colour of 

 the fly you wish to make). Everything necessary 

 to your purpose being ready, take the hook 

 between the finger and thumb of your left hand, 

 having the barb turned downwards ; now, with 

 your right hand, take up the needleful of waxed 

 silk, and whip it round the shank of the hook, 

 about four or five coils only, leaving about the 

 sixteenth of an inch between each coil ; then upon 

 the shank of your hook and on the coils lay the 

 gut ; commence whipping again, very close and 

 fine, till you shall have fastened on the hook. 

 You will, of course, have plenty of the above 

 needleful of silk left, and ready waxed. Now 

 then, holding your hook as before in your left 

 hand, take up some dubbing with your right 

 hand in small quantity, and with the finger and 

 thumb of the same hand rub it on three or four 

 inches of the waxed silk which is to spare, and 



