101- BEST'S ART OF ANGLING. 



the plaee where you first fastened, then make a 

 loop and fasten them again ; if the strands should 

 not be 'long enough to wind as far as is necessary 

 round the shank, when the silk gets bare you must 

 twist others on it. Having performed this, take 

 your scissars and cut the body of the palmer into 

 an oval form, that is, small at the bend and the 

 end of the shank, but full in the centre ; do not cut 

 too much of the dubbing off. Now both the ends 

 of the vsilk are separated, one at the bend, another 

 at the end of the shank, wax them both again ; 

 then take the hackle, hold the small end of it be- 

 tween the fore-finger and thumb of your left hand, 

 and stroke the fibres of it with those of your right 

 the contrary way from which they are formed ; 

 hold your hook as in the first position, and place 

 the point of the hackle in its bend, with that side 

 which grows nearest the cock upwards, and then 

 whip it tight to the hook ; but in fastening it, tie 

 as few fibres as you can possibly avoid : the hac- 

 kle being fast, take it by the great end, and keep- 

 ing the side nearest the cock to the left hand, 

 begin with your right hand to wind it up the 

 shank upon the dubbing, stopping every second 

 turn, and holding what you have wound tight 

 with your left fingers, whilst with the needle you 

 pick out the fibres you will unavoidably take in ; 

 proceed in this manner till you come to the place 

 where you first fastened, and where an end of the 

 silk is: then clip off chose fibres of the hackle 

 which you held between your finger and thumb, 

 close to the stem, and hold the stem close to the 

 hook ; afterwards take the silk in your right hand, 

 and whip the stem very fast to the hook: then 

 make a loop, and fasten it tight : take your pen- 

 knife, and if that part of the stem next the shank 



