FLIES AND FLY FISHING. 97 



tween the finger and thumb. Do the same by the actual 

 fly, and hold them both up to the light, you will then be 

 best able to judge as to whether you have hit off the exact 

 colors, &c. 



When using fur, pigswool, mohair or crewel for a body, 

 take a sufficient quantity of the material and work it into 

 a strand, twist it round the tying silk, and then wind on 

 both together. Herl and worsted are better wound on 

 alone. For fly tying, the best varnish is made of orange 

 shellac, dissolved in spirits of wine. The mixture should 

 not be too thick. 



If the cobblers' wax to be used for the tying silks is too 

 brittle, a little tallow should be worked up with it, but it 

 is better when this can be dispensed with. 



One most important matter in fly tying is, that the 

 silk for tying should be well waxed, and when using 

 very fine silk, to do this properly, requires 'some practice. 

 In a cold atmosphere, wax will not draw properly on 

 to the silk. When fly making in winter, I have a very 

 small tin cup in which I place the wax, and then float it 

 on a basin of hot water ; but even with this plan you 

 cannot make flies as well in cold as in warm weather. 

 For large flies or salmon flies, the best silk I know for 

 tying is sewing-machine silk, but for small flies you require 

 silk both very fine, and yet of a certain strength, and 

 tight twist. This silk is very difficult to procure good. 



H 



