68 FLY-FISHIKG A^D FLY-MAKIXG. 



the art. Of course, generally, I may enumerate those 

 materials that are most in use, for the benefit of the 

 learner. After he has gone carefully a little into the 

 processes of the beautiful art he will begin to select 

 material for himself, and, though probably he will still 

 continue to follow the formulas I shall give in a future 

 chapter for the chief flies, yet he will by no means con- 

 sider himself bound to them if a softer, better, or fitter 

 material presents itself. 



Briefly, then, the requisites of all fly-tiers' collections 

 are : Silks floss and sewing of every shade (the sewing 

 silks are useful for whipping) ; the floss of the plates 

 is simple embroidery silk ; worsteds of every shade ; cot- 

 ton-batting, for making foundations of very large bodied 

 flies ; mohair of all possible tints ; tinsel, flat, in various 

 sizes, and oval, or of the pattern termed " flat- worm ;" 

 chenille of various patterns and sizes ; ostrich feathers ; 

 peacock eye feathers ; hackles i. e., feathers from the 

 necks of "roosters" of all possible colors, especially 

 black and white (which is a " bull," neither being colors 

 at all). These hackles will, in many cases, require to be 

 dyed. Next the feathers of jungle cock, scarlet ibis, 

 large heron, swan, wild goose, wild turkey, pin-tail duck, 

 widgeon, teal, duck, crow, Indian crow, yellow-ham- 

 mer, kingfisher, American and English jay, English, 

 American, golden, and argus pheasant, robin, pigeon 

 in short, all and every bird one comes across, with per- 

 haps the trifling exception of the carrion-eating vul- 

 ture ; furs of squirrel, cat, rabbit, mole, weasel, skunk, 

 bear, pig's wool i. e., the short hair under the bristles of 

 a certain kind of pig ; hare's flax the shorfc wool under 



