34 TO DRESS FLOATING FLIES 



the end of the broken silk may be cut off. In 

 case the broken end is too short to scarf, lay 

 the new silk over the two last turns of the old, 

 and continue lapping, cutting off any projecting 

 ends. 



When commencing to lap, hold the end of the 

 waxed silk tightly between the left thumb and 

 forefinger against the shank of the hook, and with 

 the right thumb and forefinger take the silk firmly 

 about four inches from the end ; retain the extreme 

 end between the left thumb and forefinger until 

 three laps are laid on the hook-shank. Pro- 

 ceeding as above, work in the middle part of the 

 hook-shank four or five turns of tying-silk close 

 behind each other ; at every turn of the silk l 

 draw it down as tightly as possible without break- 

 ing, as without a firm foundation the wings will 

 infallibly slip or turn out of position. 



From each of a pair of starling wings one 

 right and one left from the same bird, if possible, 

 as the length of fibre and colour vary according to 

 the age of the bird detach a feather. If for a very 

 small fly on a ooo hook, select the second primary 

 quill feather ; for any larger hook, the third or 

 fourth. Cut with scissors from each sufficient of 

 the plume, from the side of the feather on which 



1 N.B. All the diagrams of fly-making are magnified, and in 

 these magnified diagrams the relative thickness of the tying- 

 silk is purposely exaggerated in order to give a clearer idea of 

 the method, and the exact number of turns used. 



