410 THE COMPLETE ANGLER. 



set right, will never raise any fish, or, if it should, I am sure, 

 but by a very extraordinary chance, can hit none. 



Having done with both these ways of fishing at the top, 

 the length of your rod and line, and all, I am next to teach 

 you how to make a fly ; and afterwards of what dubbing 

 you are to make the several flies I shall hereafter name to 

 you. 



In making a fly, then, which is not a hackle or palmer-fly 

 (for of those, and their several kinds, we shall have occasion 

 to speak every month in the year), you are first to hold 

 your hook fast betwixt the forefinger and thumb of your 

 left hand, with the back of the shank upwards, and the 

 point towards your fingers' ends ; then take a strong small 

 silk, of the colour of the fly you intend to make, wax it 

 well with wax of the same colour too (to which end, you 

 are always, by the way, to have wax of all colours about 

 you), and draw it betwixt your finger and thumb to the 

 head of the shank, and then whip it twice or thrice about 

 the bare hook, which you must know is done both to pre- 

 vent slipping, and also that the shank of the hook may not 

 cut the hairs of your towght, which sometimes it will other- 

 wise do ; which being done, take your line, and draw it like- 

 wise betwixt your finger and thumb, holding the hook so 

 fast as only to suffer it to pass by, until you have the knot 

 of your towght almost to the middle of the shank of your 

 hook, on the inside of it ; then whip your silk twice or thrice 

 about both hook and line, as hard as the strength of the 

 silk will permit ; which being done, strip the feather for the 

 wings proportionable to the bigness of your fly, placing that 

 side downwards which grew uppermost before, upon the 

 back of the hook, leaving so much only as to serve for the 



