52 SALMON FLIES. 



from the largest size of hook (generally used on 

 heavy water) down to the very smallest, little above 

 the size of a large trout fly, say No. 9 or 10 of 

 Adlington's. From the least to the largest size this 

 fly was made up of a medium colour of sky-blue 

 fine wool, with small pallid tinsel, or no tinsel, and 

 a very peculiar cock hackle : to wit, black from the 

 root up along the middle stem to fully half the 

 length, then running into red out to the top and a 

 yellow or light orange tuft for tail the wings of a 

 soft mottled turkey tail feather, dark grey. A wing 

 feather, however favourably mottled, he considered 

 too stiff and unpliable. Mr Maule in dressing this 

 fly differed from my mode of dressing. Instead of 

 cutting off the pair of wings from the feather, and 

 putting them on unbroken in the web, he tore them 

 from the stem, then equalising their points, pirled 

 them between his thumb and finger till well mixed ; 

 then tied them on with their tops laid back, adjust- 

 ing the roots with knife or scissors. He then folded 

 them forward and divided them equally ; and next, 

 by several crossings of the fine thread, tied them 

 solidly in position, and trimmed off the fly. This 

 fly he sunk by means of a blue silk casting line, 

 which he had pointed off with five or six lengths of 

 gut. In throwing this line he beat everybody ; and 



