450 



AMERICAN FISHES. 



No. 14. 



No. 13. 



We will now, as well as we can, describe how to dress these different 

 styles of flies, commencing with the easiest ; and we would recommend 

 the novice to practice at No. 1 until he can produce something pre- 

 sentable ; for, for some time it will be any thing else, despite his best en- 

 deavors to master the difficulty. Select a tolerable-sized hook, No. 3 

 for instance ; fix it firmly point downward in the vice, which screw 

 tight to the edge of a table placed in front of the window or under a 

 skylight. Wax your silk well. To do this properly, you must stick 

 a pin in your trowsers knee ; take two or three turns of the silk round 

 the head and point alternately to prevent its slipping; hold a small 

 round bit of wax, not much bigger than a pea, between finger and 

 thumb ; well wax every part, beginning at the bottom, taking care not 

 to put your fingers on the silk, else it is apt to break. Take three or 

 four turns along the bare hook some distance apart, to within a trifle 

 of the head; select your gut; bite the thick end a little up and down 

 as far as the hook will cover; take eight or ten tight turns of the silk 

 close together round both, the gut being on the under side of the hook, 

 and then whip on loosely to a point opposite the barb. Now with one 

 turn round all make fast a cock's hackle, we will suppose. This hackle 

 requires preparing. It is done thus : at the quill end the fluff or woolly 

 matter must be stripped oft'; at the other end with a fine-pointed scis- 

 sors clip away close to the end two or three fibres on each side of the 

 quill ; this prevents the end tied on being too thick and clumsy. Now, 

 to return to the fly ; next with another turn fasten one end of tinsel 



