THE FLY FISHER'S GUIDE. Ill 



As no natural feather approaches the resem- 

 blance of the wings of this fly, it is necessary to 

 have recourse to art for the imitation, which may 

 be successfully produced by dying the spotted 

 feathers of a mallard yellow, for which purpose 

 a variety of recipes have been given. This fly 

 kills extremely well, at all hours of the day, 

 particularly in still water. 



RECIPES 



For Staining the Mallard's Feather Yellow. 



1 . Take the root of a barberry tree and shave 

 it, and put to it woody vis, with as much alum 

 as walnut, and boil your feathers in it with rain 

 water, and they will be of a very fine yellow.* 



2. Scrape a small quantity of the bark of the 

 barberry tree, or bruise in a mortar the root; 

 add to it a lump of alum, and one or two dozen 

 gray feathers of a mallard ; boil them in a pint 

 of rain water, in an earthen pitcher, about an 



* Walton and Cotton's Complete Angler. 



