MANIPULATION OF THE ARTIFICIAL. 147 



wards), the tying silk in the right. A few turns of 

 the silk are now given round the shank of the hook. 

 Meanwhile, as a preliminary arrangement, the gut is 

 slightly iadented with the teeth at the extremity to 

 be secured. This lessens the chances of drawing, 

 especially in the hands of the tyro. The tying silk 

 should now be untwisted* so as to take all turn out 

 of it, preparatory to wrapping on. This done, the 

 artist works the textile round, leaving a fifth of the 

 shank end of the hook bare to fit on the wings, the 

 gut and hook, in so doing, straining the silk to its 

 utmost tension. If whisks or tails are used, they 

 should be secured by a couple of turns of the silk 

 when the bend of the hook is reached, the fur (if any) 

 to be in readiness. A minute portion is taken by the 

 thumb and finger of the disengaged right hand, and 

 twisted or rolled with the tying silk so as to adhere 

 to that part of it near the hook, which done, the silk 

 thus prepared may now carefully retrace the body, to 

 form the ribs of the fly. These should be at a 

 regular and natural distance apart. The surplus fur 

 is then to be taken both from the silk left and the 

 body of the " artificial " (which is now complete) by 

 an effective " nip " or two of the finger and thumb, 

 just leaving sufficient upon the hook's shank to faith- 

 fully represent the tinge required. When the ribs are 

 of a contrasted hue, more carefulness still is necessary 

 to give due effect. When the wings and legs are 

 attached to the body, after the manner we have 



*The utility of the untwisting process will be conspicuously apparent 

 in the making of fine-bodied artificials, as the substance of it is reduced 

 by more than one-third. 



