T 8 ON MATERIALS AND IMPLEMENTS 



Pike scales, prepared by a process patented by 

 Mr. Macnee, of Bohally, Pitlochry, make very 

 good transparent wings for black gnats. For 

 May-fly wings use the saddle or breast feathers 

 from the Canadian Wood or Summer duck, Egyptian 

 goose, Rouen drake, either dyed or natural, and 

 pintail or teal. Such feathers as the little scarlet 

 ones on the neck of the ibis, the orange of the 

 Indian crow, or the blue and yellow tail feathers of 

 the macaw, are occasionally useful for grayling flies. 



For whisks or tails, in addition to the ordinary 

 cock beard hackles, tail feathers from the Bird of 

 Paradise, brown mallard wing (called " spey " 

 feathers), fibres from partridge or pheasant tail, and 

 small rabbit's or rat's whiskers should be included 

 in a fly-dresser's collection. Mr. Marryat is of 

 opinion that whisks of cock gallina neck feathers, 

 dyed or natural, are tougher and less liable to break 

 in use than any ordinary cock hackles. 



Gold or silver wire, twist or flat tinsel of various 

 width and thickness, can be procured from the 

 manufacturers of military lace, badges, &c. 



For tying-silk, when making small flies, nothing 

 I have yet seen can compare for quality with 

 Messrs. Pearsall's reels of gossamer silk made for 

 the purpose, and the same silk doubled and slightly 

 twisted together before being waxed, for larger pat- 

 terns. The pale-coloured ones only should be used, 

 such as the white, cream, yellow, orange, and red, 

 always selecting a paler shade, but similar in tone 



