394 THE COMPLETE ANGLER. [PART II. 



such as see it, which are not many I assure you, may think 

 me a great master in the art of angling : but let me tell you 

 here are some colours, as contemptible as they seem here, 

 that are very hard to be got ; and scarce any one of them, 

 which, if it should be lost, I should not miss, and be con- 

 cerned about the loss of it too, once in the year. But look 

 you, sir, amongst all these I will choose out these two 

 colours only, of which, this is bear's hair, this darker, no 

 great matter what : but I am sure I have killed a great deal 

 of fish with it ; and with one or both of these, you shall take 

 trout or grayling this very day, notwithstanding all disad- 

 vantages, or my art shall fail me. 



Viat. You promise comfortably, and I have a great deal 

 of reason to believe every thing you say : but I wish the fly 

 Avere made, that we were at it. 



Pise. That will not be long in doing : and pray observe 

 then. You see first how I hold my hook, and thus I begin. 

 Look you, here are my first two or three whips about the 

 bare hook ; thus I join hook and line ; thus I put on my 

 wings ; thus I twirl and lap on my dubbing ; thus I work 

 it up towards the head ; thus I part my wings ; thus I nip 

 my superfluous dubbing from my silk ; thus fasten ; thus 

 trim and adjust my fly: and there's a fly made. And now 

 how do you like it ? 



Viat. In earnest, admirably well; and it perfectly re- 

 sembles a fly ; but we about London make the bodies of our 

 flies both much bigger and longer, so long as even almost to 

 the very beard of the hook. 



Pise. I know it very well, and had one of those flies given 

 me by an honest gentleman, who came with my Father 

 "Walton to give me a visit ; which, to tell you the truth, I 

 hung in my parlour window to laugh at ; but, sir, you know 

 the proverb, " They who go to Borne, must do as they at 

 Home do ;" and, believe me, you must here make your flies 

 after this fashion, or you will take no fish. Come, I will 

 look you out a line, and you shall put it on, and try it. 

 There, sir, now I think you are fitted ; and now beyond the 



Each gaudy bird some slender tribute brings, 

 And lends the growing insect proper wings : 

 Silks of all colours must their aid impart, 

 And every fur promote the fisher's art." 



