106 SALMON FISHING. 



head to butt. As, however, the size of hackles is 

 limited, in very large flies it is impossible to carry 

 out this proportion strictly ; but with a little trouble 

 hackles of an inch and a half long in the fibre 

 can easily be obtained by feather-dyers and tackle- 

 makers, and up to this size anglers using the flies 

 recommended should insist upon the proper pro- 

 portion being maintained. These hackles not only 

 possess an amount of transparent, almost prismatic, 

 colour .which no other part of the fly displays, but, 

 as they are worked through the stream, open and 

 close with every movement of the rod or fly, and 

 give the appearance of life to what would other- 

 wise look only like a bar of dead silver or gold or 

 colour. 



The principal wing-feathers in all these flies, 

 are the black and white neck hackles of the 

 jungle cock, and the next in importance feathers 

 from the golden pheasant known as "toppings." 



perhaps the two feathers which experience has 

 proved to be on the whole most killing for 



Salmon in the greatest variety of combinations. 



If the expense of golden pheasant toppings in 



the wings is objected to, the best substitutes are 

 golden orange hackles. 



These colours have also the advantage not 



