MAKING HALF A BODY OF SILK. 73 



hook, and draw it gently along to its position for tying on i.e., ~ of an 

 inch from the compressed coils of silver twist. Open the left fore-finger 

 and thumb just enough to grip the part of the floss nearest them. 

 Release the tying-silk, and bind the floss with three even, close turns 

 headwards to form some more of the foundation for the silk part of the 

 tag. Put tying-silk in "CATCH," and cut off wastes of floss and twist core. 

 Make off. 



Put the floss in " CATCH " between the left middle and third fingers, 

 which are to be extended as far as possible, to secure a good length of 

 floss between them and the hook. Untwist the length, catching hold of 

 the extreme end while you momentarily release " CATCH," and with the 

 fore-finger over it and thumb under it, stroke the length from the point of 

 tie between the finger and thumb, passing each stroke through the 

 " CATCH " to the very end of the floss until it is rendered straight and 

 glossy. (By passing through the "CATCH " is meant opening the "CATCH" 

 fingers and allowing the stroking fingers to pass through, and closing 

 them again whilst the right hand fingers have hold of the end of the 

 floss.) 



On the last stroke given, whilst the fingers hold the end, pass the 

 floss under the hook-shank, and put it in " CATCH " there. Now with the 

 fore-finger, placed this time under the floss and the thumb over it, stroke 

 and smooth once and wind the floss tailwards, reaching the twist in two 

 turns. In completing the tag headwards over the former work use 

 " CATCH " fingers at each turn in the manner just described. The reader 

 should bear in mind that this is the way silk-bodied flies are con- 

 structed, so far as the actual winding of the floss is concerned ; and that, 

 virtually speaking, the taper of the whole body work begins from the 

 twist in the tag. 



Four, or perhaps five, coils of floss are enough, and, rightly laid on 

 in increasing closeness, should form an even taper. Put "STOP" on floss, 

 and fix with the tying-silk much in the same way as with the silver twist, 

 save that after setting free the tying-silk, which has been made off, the 

 floss end should be passed into " CATCH," the "CATCH " fingers being brought 

 well under the shank, and the floss held taut by them. It is best that the 

 first turn of tying-silk be firmly made, not at the very edge of the last 



