Appendix. 143 



The only complaint I have to bring againft fome of 

 the authorities on the fubjecl:, is the difficult afpec~l under 

 which the art of fly-making is drawn. 



Materials that would take the whole of a long life to 

 collect, furs and feathers that only a favoured few could 

 procure, colours fo nicely fhaded and delicately inter- 

 laced, that none but the lynx-eyes of the verieft con- 

 noifeur could deteft. Is not all this enough to frighten 

 the youthful afpirant ? 



I rarely ufe any other flies than thofe I fabricate my- 

 felf ; and as I almoft invariably take anything that comes 

 to hand, if it approach the right colour, particularly in 

 the cafe of dubbing, (the material for the body,) much of 

 the fancied difficulty difappears. 



The materials you really require are eafily obtained, 

 fuch as the hackles of domeflic fowls, (feathers that 

 grow on the neck,) blue and red of various ftiades, (the 

 moft ufeful,) black, white, &c. Wings of ftarlings, (in- 

 difpenfable,) fnipes, pheafants, partridges, &c. peacocks' 

 and oftriches' herl, that is, the ftrands of the tail fea- 

 thers ; fur of the hare, rabbit, mole, fquirrel, water- 

 rat, &c. and, if you can fall in with a piece of Turkey 

 carpet, put it in your pocket ; filks of infinite variety, 

 the fineft and ftrongeft you can procure, gold and filver 

 twift, or thread, fhoemaker's wax, fciilbrs very fliarp at 

 the points, and pliers, will, I believe, nearly complete 

 the lift of neceflaries. The firft friend you catch in the 

 aft of tying a fly, watch as a cat does a moufe, though 

 not, of courfe, with the like murderous intent; aflc him 

 every queftion that will help you in your objecl ; and, 



