METHOD OF DRESSING A FLY. 95 



hackel on as in dressing a spider, with the root end 

 towards the bend of the hook ; fasten it on and cut 

 off the root end. Next take hold of the end of the 

 hackle with your brass nippers, and turn it once or 

 twice round the hook as close under the wings as 

 possible ; then wrap the silk three or four times 

 round it to make it secure, cut off the remainder, 

 and carry the thread by itself down to where you 

 intend finishing. In a large fly it will be an im- 

 provement to put on a little dubbing of the same 

 colour as the body of the fly, after having put on 

 the hackle. The most expeditious way of dressing 

 flies is to dress say a dozen of one kind at a time, 

 selecting and arranging all the materials necessary 

 before commencing. 



The following illustration shows what appear- 

 ance the flies should present when finished. 



The first of the accompanying flies is a spider, 

 the second a fly dressed with dubbing, and the 

 third a fly dressed with a hackle. The reader will 

 observe that these flies are very light in the make ; 

 that there is not more dubbing than covers the 

 thread ; that the hackle is put on very sparingly ; 

 and that the dressing is not carried far down the 

 hook. Anglers accustomed to shop- made flies 



