82 A GOOD PLAIN FLY. 



sented you see white and dark ribs. The white 

 are caused by the tinsel ; the dark by the portions 

 of the dubbing which you have not covered with 

 the twist or tinsel. In this figure there are three 

 prominent defects. The head is too thick, the 

 wings unequally divided, and the tail is omitted. 

 These defects are designedly done. They will 

 often occur to the young fly-dresser, but when 

 they do, he must unfasten his defective fly, and 

 begin again. 



The two last flies the learner has been studying 

 are amongst the most diffi- 

 cult to make. I will give 

 him a little relaxation now 

 by presenting to him one or 

 two flies more easily dressed, 

 and here is one. It is a fly with plain silk for 

 body, wings, and legs. The making of it should 

 be frequently practised, as that will afford greater 

 facility in dressing the more complicated flies. 

 There is nothing like a good foundation. Arm 

 your gut. Suppose the body of your fly should 

 be delicate and of an orange colour, let the silk 

 you use for arming be of that colour, waxed with 

 colourless wax.* Consequently, whilst you are 



* Wax colourless, as far as the effect on coloured silk 



/goes, may be thus made : Take two ounces of the best and 



f lightest- coloured resin, with a drachm of bleached bee's wax ; 



put them into a pipkin on a slow fire, until completely 



