70 TROUT FISHING 



very simple and short, and I shall only say just 

 so much as I have myself found from experience 

 to be correct; and if I am too limited in my 

 descriptions, the reason is, that I do not wish to 

 limit by rules the beginner, but after explaining 

 the path I have taken, induce him to take his own 

 steps in such a way as he may suppose as good or 

 better. 



The grand point in making flies is to have every 

 part of the correct shade ; it is not that all the fly, 

 the body and hackle, should be precisely the same 

 colour, but there must be an harmonious blending 

 of tints, and shading of colour; and in choice 

 of our feathers we should strive to heighten the 

 tones of shading above the fur of the body as 

 much as possible, keeping within the limits of 

 general harmony, and carefully avoiding anything 

 approaching a contrast of colours ; there should 

 be a richness, brilliancy, and variation in the 

 aspect of our fly, so that when immersed in water, 

 vivid shades may spangle amongst duller hues. 



I find it impossible to convey by language to the 

 mind of the reader the different colours, shades, 

 and tints of hackles ; it will be more easy to 

 speak of some particular fur, whose appearances we 

 are familiar with, and then simply state that a 

 hackle must be found to match it, by which we mean 

 one whose shades and tints harmonize with the 

 different colours of the fur ; a good test for which 

 is to place the hackle upon the fur we are going 

 to use, and then observe carefully if our feather 

 heightens in tone the shading of the natural fur. 



