FLIES AND FLY FISHING. 85 



long-shanked double hook, it is not necessary to have the 

 hooks themselves so' very large, so long as there is plenty of 

 room on the shank on which to construct a very large 

 fly, but they must be very sharp as your rod (which 

 ought to be a stiffish salmon one of not less than eighteen 

 foot) is not so severe in the strike as an ordinary pike rod. 



On to the above hook whip two long strands of single 

 salmon gut. Make the body of the fly of yellowish 

 pigswool and any blueish fur well mixed, wrapped on 

 very thick and fat, and making it very rough and hairy. 



Wings : two very large equal sized slips of any grey 

 feather, tied one on each side and rather low down on 

 the body, and over this a tolerable sized head of black 

 ostrich heii. 



This makes a very fair imitation of a young duckling, 

 and if a pike has at any recent period tasted one of these 

 delicacies he is sure to come at it. 



Now as to protecting the strands of gut on which the 

 hook is tied from the teeth of the pike. The plan I 

 have always used was to wrap them for about six inches 

 from the hook, first with worsted, and over that very 

 tightly with well waxed silk, and then varnish. I have 

 always found this sufficient protection, the worsted and 

 silk seeming quite capable of resisting the teeth, but on 



