8 ON FLY-MAKING. 



described by Mr. Gay, in the following lines: 



"To frame the little animal, provide 

 All the gtoy hues that wait on female pride ; 

 Let nature guide thee sometimes golden wire 

 The finning hellies,pf the fly require ; 

 The peacock's plume thy tackle must not fail 

 Nor the dear purchase of the sable's tail 

 Each gaudy bird some slender tribute brings, 

 And lends the growing in sect proper wings ; 

 Silks of all colours must their aid impart, 

 And every fur promote the fisher's art." 



As small hooks and feathers are apt to cramp the 

 fingers, I have provided a small vice and pair of tweezers; 

 the former to hold the hook, and the latter to hold the 

 feathers. To make the vice, provide a piece of steel or 

 iron half an inch broad, eighth of an inch thick, and five 

 inches long ; double it so that the ends be brought 

 level and the sixteenth of an inch asunder ; then fix a 

 screw three-quarters of an inch from the point, and it 

 will be complete. To make the tweezers, take a piece of 

 brass or iron wire the eighth of an inch thick, four or five 

 inches long, flatten the ends of it, and double it some- 

 thing like a pair of sugar-tongues with the ends crossed 

 oyer each other ; file the sides so that the ends will fit 

 close, and open when pressed with the finger and thumb. 

 You will find these of great service, not only in holding 

 the hook and feather, but in keeping the silk clean as it 

 ought to be. In the next place provide some strong 

 round horse hair or fine silk- worm gut, though I prefer 

 using the hair, as beingso much lighter and not freying like 

 gut. A pocket-book is indispensable to hold your vari- 

 ous kinds of tackle. 



