THE TAG. 39 



Furthermore, the tag is more or less a tribute to nature. Many flies, 

 moths, and butterflies show marked alteration in colour at the extremity 

 of the body. And so nature confirms what experience suggests. 



It is interesting to trace the history of the "tag." Flies of a century 

 ago were rarely, if ever, adorned with it. I can well remember that, in 

 my earlier days, tags were invariably made with orange silk. Suddenly, 

 however, Anglers on the Usk discovered that scarlet floss was an im- 

 provement, and in other places the fact was speedily confirmed. Indeed, 

 I myself found that on other rivers Salmon decidedly prefer scarlet to 

 orange. This lucky discovery led to my introducing into use several 

 well-known standard flies " Lady d'Eresby," with a blue tag ; " Strath- 

 spey," with a violet one ; " Nightshade," with pink ; " Captain Walton," 

 with cream ; and many others. 



In this new field of speculation I was soon followed by Wright, of 

 Sprouston, who invented a " blue-tagged " fly that won for itself local 

 honours and many admirers. Farlow, whose best is the "Baron," with a 

 dark red-claret tag, and Bernard, of Church Passage, chimed in. The 

 hint was soon taken by amateurs and the trade generally, and the tag has 

 now won a distinguished place in the estimation of Anglers of varied 

 experience. 



Tags are usually made in two parts first, gold or silver twist ; next, 

 floss silk. Directions for using these materials will be given in the next 

 chapter. 



Discussing the subject of tags one day by the river-side, a brother 

 Angler asked me the following question: "Did you or any other man ever 

 see a black and white dog having any white at all in its tail that didn't 

 have it at the tip '? " 



The " Tail " of a fly comes next, and is of great service. It used to be 

 the fashion to employ here nothing but golden "toppings " ; but as the 

 reader has heard enough of old fashions, his attention had better be drawn 

 to forms new and approved. Besides " toppings," we use for " tails " 

 tippet fibres and other parts of the Golden Pheasant ; Toucan breast and 

 under-tail ; strips or sprigs of Teal and Canadian Duck, Macaw, Jungle- 

 fowl, and feathers from the Chatterer, Indian Crow, Tanager, Blue 

 Creeper, and others that are supple and showy, coloured and speckled. 



