ARTIFICIAL FLIES. 



a change might give, saying he would dress them ano- 

 ther or two of the same sort, " they '11 mebbe like 'em 

 better." Many a time that day I saw him with bent 

 and quivering rod hurrying down the rough margin of 

 the streams of Hackfall. Towards evening we repaired 

 to Richard Heaths'. Soon after Walbran came in, his 

 ample basket was full of fine trout, grayling, and smelt, 

 but principally large grayling, which were all soon 

 caught a second time with the silver hook. The best 

 like imitations can scarce be pronounced good until 

 tested by the fishes. Hackled flies are in general better 

 taken than those that are winged ; but dress both and 

 give the fish which they prefer. 



I have seen a craftsman sit on a stone, make short 

 and sound work of the checkwing. He took the par- 

 tridge brown and stripped the stem on both sides, to 

 the few fibres he intended to remain, which he closed 

 together with his lips, and then laid it aside. He 

 waxed the ends of the silk, hair, and shank of the 

 hook, whipping three or four open rounds of the waxed 

 silk tight up the bare hook to the top and turned near 

 half-way back. He then laid the waxed end of the hair 

 within the hook and whipt them close and tight toge- 

 ther to the top, and formed the head. Waxing the silk 

 at the lap, he plied to it a few hairs from a hare's 

 ear, then laid the thicker part of the stem of the fea- 

 ther at the fibres, close to the silk at the lap, and 

 whipt over it ; then cutting of the surplus stem, whipt 

 tight down the length of the shoulders and fastened. 

 He next took the feather in his pliers by the small end 

 and wound it twice over the shoulders, tight as it would 

 bear, keeping the stem straight by the twirl of the 



