74 THE SALMON FLY. 



floss coil, but a little in upon it. Continue binding with two more turns 

 tail-wards, and so form a level foundation for the tail. Make off, and cut 

 off waste floss. 



Section IV. Prepare the topping by stripping off the dull, short, 

 downy filaments at its root. Fix it in place by the following method, 

 which will obviate all difficulty. (Of course, a topping which has been 

 carefully kept and has retained its proper shape is more manageable than 

 one which has been allowed to get warped or twisted.) Holding the hook 

 as before i.e., by the bend take the topping, curve upwards, by its bare 

 quill between the right fore-finger and thumb, so that with them it may 

 be laid in its place upon the top of the shank, and then held in the same 

 left grasp. The feather will be in its place when the lowest point from 

 which its fibres spring is laid coincident with the upper (or headward) end 

 of the completed tag, so that when the topping has been bound on no 

 fibres will be bound down, and no quill left uncovered tailwards. Now, 

 the right hand grasping the root firmly together with the hook-shank, 

 pass the left fore-finger and thumb with a coaxing, smoothing action 

 down over the topping tailwards, gently pressing it down upon and con- 

 forming it to the bend of the hook; and, finally, hold it fixed in that 

 down-curved position. Let go the right fingers from the quill, which 

 will then spring up a little, but which, as the main part of the topping 

 is held firm in the grasp, will not refuse to be easily and correctly 

 bound down upon the foundation prepared for it. Bind it down. To 

 do so, begin with a long diagonal turn of the tying-silk tailwards,' 

 then give an encircling turn close to the tag headwards, and also 

 another. Put the silk in "CATCH" and let the topping go free to see 

 whether it sits correctly. This scrutiny is only for the tyro practice 

 will soon bring instinctive certainty. Bind on two more turns headward. 

 Make off. 



Section V. Proceed now to form the butt. Take the Ostrich herl, 

 root to the left, flock downwards, and lay its point diagonally on the near 

 side of the shank at the place where the tail is tied on ; release tying-silk 

 and unwind carefully two turns of the former work. 



These turns were made to strengthen the work temporarily in its 

 progress ; and we remove them to lessen the bulk and obtain neatness 



