ON TACKLE MAKING, ETC. 159 



firmly, and cut off all refuse, and touch the tie with 

 varnish. If you use grouse, jay, or hackles of that class, 

 it is best to strip off one side. Be careful that you take 

 off the right one. In the jay hackle you will probably 

 have to shave off some of the quill with a sharp Denknife, 

 as it is too thick at the stump to roll neatly. This is a 

 delicate operation. It is always as well to let your varnish 

 dry before fixing on the wing and head. 



If you have what is called an underwing, which usually 

 consists of one or two tippet or saddle feathers of the 

 golden pheasant, or some other short showy feather, you 

 must tie that on first, and the main wing you tie on over 

 it. This will either be strips of some feather or a mixed 

 wing of many fibres of various feathers. The strips you 

 tie on right and left of the under wing, and it is by no 

 means an easy thing to make them all set straight and 

 well always. In the mixed wing you either select the 

 various fibres and put them together before tying on, and 

 then tie them on in bulk, or you tie on a few at a time. 

 But all this experience will teach better than precept. 

 Make a few bungles, my dear pupil, and try to rectify 

 them, that is the way to learn ; and beyond all you need 

 not throw away your bungles in disgust. They will 

 probably kill quite as well as the most perfect works of 

 art. 



One of the most successful fishermen I ever knew was 

 one of the worst fly tyers, and he always fished with his 

 own monstrosities. Awful things they were " quite too 

 utterly awful " in the Lingua Haut-tonica of the period. 

 His hackles buzzed in all directions. His tails skewed, 

 and his toppings stared enough to give a neat tyer the 

 cold shivers, but the salmon liked 'em well enough some- 

 how. There was a novelty about 'em, and my friend was 



