ON RAPID STREAMS. 79 



of the midrib or stalk of the hackle. Having 

 now wound on all the feather you intend, and 

 having brought the last turn near the free ex- 

 tremity of the shank of the hook, you may take 

 the remaining bare stalk between the middle or 

 ring finger, and compress it between its extremity 

 and the first joint of the thumb, to prevent its 

 becoming loose, and you must firmly hold and 

 draw upon this, as the midrib of the feather is 

 very stiff, and tends speedily to unwind itself 

 when coiled up. If tweezers are at hand, you 

 may attach them to the end of the root of the 

 feather, or if not, you must proceed to fasten off 

 the end, and form the head of the fly, which is 

 done by taking the silk you left between the hook 

 and the gut,andwindingit in the one same direction 

 around the end of the hook and the stalk of the 

 feather; having by three or four turns spliced the 

 end of the feather to the shank of the hook, you 

 now, keeping the silk tense with the fingers of 

 your left hand pressing on the palm, smooth down 

 all the prominent fibres of the hackle, and include 

 all evenly in your grasp between the thumb and 

 fore-finger of the left hand, and this being 

 arranged smoothly, you take again the silk, and 

 after bestowing a little more wax close to the 

 attachment, make several half -hitches, which are 

 simply formed by passing the silk around the 

 hook loosely, so as to form a bow, through which 

 you slip the end of the silk, and draw it tight ; 

 or instead of ending and forming your head by 

 half-hitches, you may lay the end of the silk up- 



