16 THE SALMON FLY. 



CHAPTEK II. 



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SALMON-FLIES : THEIR KINDS, QUALITIES AND MATERIALS. 



" Oft expectation fails, and most oft there where most it promises." 



SHAKESPEARE. 



DESCRIPTION AND CLASSIFICATION. 



AN orderly and uniform method of description being essential to progress 

 in all technical matters, there can be no need to vindicate my attempt 

 to supply this, with regard to Salmon-flies and their dressings. Happily, 

 in this case, the reformer has only to contend against a certain amount of 

 disorder and confusion. 



The advantage of always describing a fly in the successive order 

 of its parts, and of always using the same names for the same things, 

 is obvious. We often encounter in print, and elsewhere, a departure 

 from this wholesome principle, and this can only be attributed to the 

 absence hitherto of any general practice, based on the requirements of 

 convenience and consistency. I hope that the diagram given opposite, in 

 which a typical fly is explained in regular succession of detail, will be found 

 of service in satisfying these requirements. The names adopted by me 

 are those now in general use amongst Anglers and tackle-makers, and 

 the order followed is (practically) that of the actual process of dressing. 



The benefit derived from following this order is, that with a 

 minimum of strain on the memory, even without practice in dressing, an 



