202 Artificial Flies for taking Trout, (?. 



length of fine round gut : prepare two pieces of whalebone, 

 which must be scraped very thin, the shape and the size of 

 the wings of the natural fly, for which feather is a bad sub- 

 stitute ; these are to be cut narrow enough to be tied neatly 

 on at the shoulders, and laid flat to the back ; wrap a pea- 

 cock's herl for the head, or, better, India-rubber, the same 

 as the body is to be made of; for legs, twirl a feather, taken 

 from the outside of the woodcock's wing, under the shoulders 

 after the wings and head are made ; two feelers are to be 

 tied in, when the head is made, of two hairs taken from a 

 bear's skin ; dress the fly with strong yellow silk, wrapped 

 nearly as thick as the body of the natural fly, and over this 

 wind closely a strip of fine light-coloured India-rubber, 

 which you will get by unravelling a piece of elastic band 

 or brace, this will show the yellow silk through ; add two 

 short, thickish whisks at the tail from two strands of a 

 woodcock's feather ; lastly, take a very fine needle and a 

 piece of very fine yellow silk well waxed, pass the needle 

 through the wings from the inside, and so back again from 

 the outside, and tie securely under the belly near the tail 

 of the fly, thus fastening down the wings to lie as those of 

 the natural fly, of which you will now have made a very 

 close representation. You may either rib the body with 

 yellow silk or not, as you please. 



If dubbing is used for the body, as is the custom of some 

 persons, it must be nicely mixed, and not so full as the na- 

 tural fly, and cut close, (for the dubbing swells when wet), 

 and ribbed with yellow floss- silk. 



India-rubber is by far the best, since it does not absorb 

 the wet, floats more lightly, and has the nearest resemblance 

 of the natural fly that can be obtained. 



The artificial fly cannot, of course, be so captivating as 

 the natural ; but in a very windy day, in the height of the 

 season, and in streams, it has been successfully used. 



One great advantage in using the artificial fly is ,that it saves 

 much time and trouble in gathering the flies and in baiting. 



It is to be used in the same way as described for the 

 natural fly, and mostly on the top of the water ; and is to 

 be fished somewhat quicker, always keeping it in motion. 



