82 FLIES, FLY-DRESSING, ETC. 



full plumage, which, is usually about Christmas. 

 Among those considered most necessary are hackles, 

 which are usually taken from the neck of the com- 

 mon cock. It is very difficult to procure them of 

 the right colour, and still more so to procure them 

 of the right shape. In a proper hackle the fibres 

 should be longest at the root end, and taper gradually 

 towards the point. It is not one cock out of twenty 

 whose hackles merit the attention of the fly-dresser. 

 The hackle generally plays a very conspicuous 

 part in the construction of trouting flies. The 

 spider or hackle fly is made of it entirely, and in 

 other flies it is used to imitate the legs of the insect. 

 We, however, think the cock-hackle by no means 

 deserving of so much attention as is bestowed upon 

 it, being too stiff and wiry to represent the legs of 

 an insect, and we prefer hen-hackles, or still better, 

 the small feathers taken from the neck or outside of 

 the wings of a variety of small birds. But these 

 latter are not always to be had of the colour wanted, 

 and cock-hackles are very convenient to fall back 

 upon, but should be selected as soft in the fibre as 

 possible. Amongst those most serviceable to the 

 angler are the small feathers taken from the outside 

 of the wings, as also from the neck and shoulders of 

 the following birds : The starling, landrail, dotterel, 

 mavis, grey plover, golden plover, partridge, and 

 grouse. Of the foregoing, we consider the feathers 

 taken from the cock starling the most valuable of all 

 to the angler. They have a rich glossy\>lack, which 



