FLY-TYING 41 



vice is a necessity, with jaws of the sleeve ring type 

 such as the " Hawksley." The fly can then be firmly 

 gripped in an instant without the necessity of screw- 

 ing up the jaws. A vice that will screw on to a table 

 leaf is usually employed. 



A small box should be kept containing .fly tweezers, 

 fly scissors with fine-pointed ends, fly-makers' wax, a 

 pricker or needle-like tool, forceps, a bottle of cellu- 

 loid varnish and one of shellac varnish with a small 

 camelhair brush fixed in the cork. In a separate 

 compartment a range of hooks of varying sizes 

 should be kept clearly labelled. Fly-makers' wax can 



FLY-TYING SCISSORS. 



be made of resin and soft paraffin wax mixed in equal 

 proportion dissolved on a stove. If the wax is too 

 soft and sticky, add more resin; if too hard, more 

 wax. To keep a supply for any length of time it 

 should be placed in small knobs in a jar of water. 



The selection of suitable materials contributes 

 largely to success, and as a wide range of different 

 feathers, silks and dressings will be required, it is 

 important that they should be kept carefully, tidily 

 and listed up in packets, each one labelled and con- 

 taining moth balls. 



Natural coloured feathers are better than dyed ones, 

 as there is always a risk of dyes coming out and 

 changing colour when either oiled or in the water. 



