DIFFICULTY OF DEESSING FLIES NEATLY. 91 



anglers lining flies with sufficient dubbing on them, 

 to have made body for half-a-dozen flies, each fly 

 more killing than the original ; and as a last advice 

 upon flies, we advise all anglers to use them very 

 light. The spider is made rather more bushy than 

 is advisable at first, as the trout's teeth would other- 

 wise tear it away too fast. After capturing a dozen 

 trout it will be spare enough. 



It is exceedingly difficult by means of written 

 instructions to make fly-dressing intelligible to the 

 reader ; a few lessons would do more than a whole 

 volume of instructions. 



It is very difficult to dress flies neatly, and 

 unless anglers have plenty of time to devote to it, 

 they would act wisely in purchasing their flies from 

 professional dressers, who will make them to any 

 pattern ; but anglers should see that they are dressed 

 to pattern. Since the first edition was published, our 

 friends have shown us flies which they bought as 

 being the kind we recommended, and as being tied 

 on fine gut, but which were the identical bushy flies 

 which we have devoted so many pages to warn 

 anglers against ; and as for the gut, it was so thick 

 and coarse as to preclude the possibility of success, 

 in anything like fine fishing. All the knowledge of 



