158 ANGLING. 



end of that in over the stump of the tail. Take about 

 three turns of that, taking care that the fibre of the harl 

 points towards the tail. This is called the butt. It is not 

 used in all flies by any means ; but in many, and par- 

 ticularly where the bodies or the lower part of them are 

 made of floss silk, it gives an elegant and brilliant finish 

 to the fly. It is not at all indispensable, however. In 

 tying or fastening off the butt, it is usual to tie on the 

 floss or other material for the body ; likewise the tinsel ; 

 and, if it runs all up the body, the hackle likewise. Work 

 the silk back up to the shoulder of the fly, leaving a 

 portion of the hook for the wing and head to be fitted on. 

 The process then followed is just the same as in a trout 

 fly. You roll on the body and tie it off at the shoulder. 

 Then the tinsel, and then the hackle, following the spiral 

 of the tinsel with the quill of the hackle, and fasten 

 off at the shoulder. If the hackle is only needed at the 

 shoulder or half way up the body, the tip must be tied on 

 as you work the silk back; and it must, of course, be 

 avoided in rolling on the body and tinsel. 



Having now got on body, tinsel, and hackle, it often 

 happens that you want a shoulder hackle. This is com- 

 posed of some short feather, as a grouse, jay, bustard, or 

 other hackle. Tou never want much of this ; at most, not 

 more than two or three turns. Now to make the hackle 

 run even, you must compare the length of the fibres, and 

 match them, cutting off all that is too short, then nicking 

 the feather where you want to tie the quill in, and cutting 

 off most of the hackle fibre, so as not to have too big a 

 bunch of stuff to tie in the point you have thus fashioned. 

 Work the silk back to the head, roll on the hackle two or 

 three times round, taking care to make the fibres point 

 straight and even with the others ; then tie off the stump 



