136 How to dress a Salmon-fly. 



body be not carried on to the bend of the hook, as that 

 will quite spoil the shape of the fly, and give it an un- 

 natural appearance, however well dressed otherwise. 



To dress a Salmon-fly. 



HAVE all your materials arranged, as directed for a 

 trout fly, and begin in this way : Take a No. 7 Phillips' 

 salmon hook, also a piece of your strongest and roundest 

 gut, make a loop round a piece of strong wire, or anything 

 similar, and tie with well-waxed silk the two ends securely 

 on the under-side of the shank, leaving the loop only to 

 project and sit, when flat, at right-angles to the bend ; 

 begin to dress by tieing in the tail- tuft, then your tinsel 

 and the point of your hackle, which must be long and 

 well tapered ; twirl your first-coloured dubbing on your 

 silk and wrap it up, next the other colours, as you require, 

 up to the shoulder, which should be left full, leaving 

 sufficient of the shank to tie on the wings and head ; by 

 means of your tweezers or pliers wrap your tinsel twice 

 round, close to the tail- tuft, having previously cut off the 

 superfluous parts, then rib it evenly and firmly up the 

 body to the shoulders and there fasten it, cutting off what 

 remains; next take the root of your hackle in your 

 tweezers and rib it evenly and firmly between the tinsel 

 up to the shoulders, and make it rather fuller there and 

 fasten it off, cutting away what remains of the root ; take 

 one wing and tie it on one side firmly, and then the other 

 on the other side ; tie in a peacock's herl for a head and 

 wrap it three or four times, then fasten all off by a loop- 

 knot or two very securely; pick out the dubbing and 

 hackle and trim them neatly ; set the wings, and the fly 

 is finished. 



If you do not use a peacock's herl for a head, wrap 

 securely with your silk, and finish off by varnishing it. 



