HACKLES. 81 



The best way to judge of the real quality of a 

 hackle is to try the texture and then hold it up to the 

 light, when a much truer judgment may be formed of its 

 real colour than by looking at it by reflected light. 



The various dyed hackles shown are those used 



when attempting to obtain an 

 No. 51. iridescent effect in the fly. As many 



find difficulty in understanding how 

 the tricolour feathers are dyed, I will briefly describe the 

 process. 



First choose bright glassy hackles and after thoroughly 

 washing them, boil in yellow dye, again thoroughly 

 rinse in clean water and dry, then one end may be dipped 

 in scarlet dye and the other in green, rinsing and drying 

 the feathers between each operation. In doing a large 

 number at once a cramping device is employed to avoid 

 the dye creeping and to generally facilitate the process, 

 like many things it is quite simple when explained, though 

 not quite so obvious until several unsuccessful attempts 

 lead to the solution of the problem. 



I am reminded that starling hackles are not included 

 in the list given and illustrated, this is simply an oversight 

 not because their usefulness for small flies is unap- 

 preciated, generally speaking there are such an 

 innumerable number of feathers which may be used 

 that it is impossible even to name let alone illustrate 

 them all. 



F 



