STYLES OF FLY DRESSING 81 



of Scotland, and its upright split wings will either enable 

 it to go down- stream almost afloat like the natural fly, 

 or, if it be drawn under, it will be whirled about in a way 

 to suggest considerable life and activity. It is suitable 

 for upstream fishing — even in chalk streams. 



Fig. 8 is a type of fly affected by the fly fishers of the 

 Clyde and its tributaries. It is extremely sketchy, but 

 as I have never fished, or even seen, the waters where it is 

 used I am unable to do more than guess at the theory of 

 its operation. It appears somewhat akin to the Tweed type. 



Even sketchier is the type of pattern illustrated in 

 Fig. 9, but I have known Scottish burn fishers fill bumping 

 creels with just such simple patterns busked before setting 

 out with a mere wisp of feather for wing, a tiny hen 

 hackle pulled from a fowl caught for the purpose, a few 

 inches of tying silk, and perhaps at times a tiny pinch of 

 wool from coat or cap for the body. 



Then there are Stewart's patterns (illustrated in " The 

 Practical Angler"). Of these the winged flies are much 

 like the Teme flies, No. 4, but, fished upstream and across 

 as droppers, are drawn down by the current ahead of the 

 gut cast head upstream, while the hackled type are just 

 soft hackled palmers which, while of the sober colours of 

 the water insects, must really attract by reason of the 

 mobility of the hackle fibres presenting an appearance of 

 a struggling creature. 



All these methods have their merits and all deserve 

 study ; for the fly fisherman who is also a fly dresser can 

 be none the worse for being able to adapt his methods to 

 the type of water he is fishing or going to fish in. 



The number of ways in which flies can be tied is in- 

 credible. There are hardly two books which lay down 

 identical methods unless one is a crib from the other. 

 And of all the methods in which I have experimented, 



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