124 ANSUNG. 



sary, but the operation is not a difficult tliougb a critical 

 one. Still holding the hook as before, you take the feather, 

 lay it with the root towards the bend of the hook, wrap 

 the thread two or three times round it, and then cut off the 

 root end. Fig. 37 ■wUl show the hook at this stage. There 

 are two processes of forming the spider open to the student. 

 He may wind the feather neatly round the hook, untU 

 he reaches the bend of the hook, where he may fasten off, 

 and release any fibres that may have become entangled 

 during the winding. He may then clip away any long 

 rough points, the end of the feather, and the silk, and his 

 fly will represent fig. 38. Another process, and a better, 

 is to run the thread, after tying the'hackle on, (as fig. 37,) 

 along the centre of the feather, and with the forefinger and 

 thumb of the right hand twist them together until the 

 feather is rolled round the thread, and in this state wrap it 

 round the hook, taking care that the fibres stick out 

 vveU to represent the legs of the insect, untU you come 

 to the bend of the hook, when it may be fastened off 

 with the whip-fastening, or a succession of hitch-knots. 

 The feathers must be long enough to hide the hook, as 

 shown in fig. 39. 



To make a palmer-hackle, representing a luscious cater- 

 pillar, (fig. 40,) the latter process cannot be followed. 

 When the hackle-feather is fastened on, (fig. 37,) some floss- 

 gilk, peacock or ostrich-taU, or dubbing is used, twisted round 

 your waxed thread, and wrapped round the shank of the 

 hook to form the body ; but beware of getting it too bulky. 

 Fasten at the head, then wind the hackle, as first described, 

 and fasten at the tail. If dubbed with either gold or 

 silver twist, it must be attached to the shank of the hook 

 »vith the hackle, and wound over the dubbing and body 



