36 TO DRESS FLOATING FLIES 



tendency of the beginner in this style of putting 

 on wings is to make them too long. The ap- 

 pearance of a pair of wings in which the points 

 have not been nipped off is preferable, as all 

 feathers naturally become thinner at the points, 

 and thus give the notion of being shaded off, 

 whereas, if nipped off, they have a hard, unnatural 

 outline. Holding the wings and the wire of the 

 hook between the left thumb and forefinger, take 

 the tying-silk in the right hand, and, separating 

 the left thumb and forefinger sufficiently to allow 

 the silk to pass between them, draw the silk down 

 as, firmly as possible, at the same time gripping 

 the wings and hook with the left thumb and fore- 

 finger so as to draw all fibres down vertically 

 without any horizontal motion. Repeat this ope- 

 ration three or four times, carrying each successive 

 turn of the silk forwards, or towards the head of 

 the fly. Pass the silk once behind the wings and 

 over the hook, and pull it tightly forwards : the fly 

 now appears as shown on sketch (fig. 12). 



Fig. 12. 



