MISCELLANEOUS OBSERVATIONS 

 ON SALMON FLIES. 



For occasional variation of the three first flies, the 

 body may be made of peacock's herl, using as many 

 piles rolled round together as will produce the proper 

 thickness of body. In this case a fine dark hackle 

 is necessary to give it the proper appearance. Such 

 hackle laid round close in behind the gold twist, 

 produces a neat effect, besides being thus saved by 

 the gold thread from the teeth of the fish, which are 

 apt to cut the hackle unless so protected. I prefer 

 all hackles rather short in the bristle than long. 

 Those fine half-black, half-red hackles, so common 

 with us forty years ago, seem now to be out of fashion 

 among our barn-door fowls ; few of the present 

 colours are bright throughout ; the inside is generally 

 of a dirty pale yellow. Also, the real black are now 

 changed to white near the root ; still, with some 

 trouble proper ones may be here and there found. 

 Cocks of the game breed produce the best hackles 

 for fly dressing, generally being longer in the feather, 



