fingers a little so that you can wax it well, pro 

 vide a piece of leather about an inch wide and 

 an inch and a half long, double it, and lay a 

 piece of nicely tempered wax between the folds, 

 flatten it, and when you wax the silk, take the 

 leather between your fingers, open the edge of 

 it, and rub the wax on the tying silk in the 

 same way as before, and you will not break the 

 silk so easily, or dirty your fingers with the 

 wax. You now take the hook by the bend in 

 the left fore-finger and thumb, give two or 

 three turns of the silk round the shank, flatten 

 the end of the gut a little, which keeps it from 

 drawing off, and tie it on underneath about 

 half way down the hook firmly, this done, lay 

 on a little varnish with your pencil. Take a 

 piece of finer silk to make the fly with, and 

 fasten it near the end of the shank, do not bring 

 the silk to the extreme end of the shank to 

 leave room for the wings, as they are apt to 

 slip over on the gut if tied on too near. You 

 strip off two pieces from the woodcock or 

 starling wing, and lay them together evenly 

 at the points, that the wings may be double 

 when tied on (see the Trout-fly wing cut out of 

 the woodcock feather, in the Plate), see that 



