112 



THE TROUT. 



pinching it into a proper form, whip down and fasten off as 

 before directed, which will bring both ends of the silk into 

 the bent. After you have waxed your silk again, take, three 

 or four strands of ostrich feather, and holding them and the 

 bent of your hook as at first directed, the feathers to your left 

 hand and the roots in the bent of your hook, with that end 

 of the silk which you have just now waxed, whip them three 

 or four times round and fasten off; then turning the feathers 

 to the right, and twisting them and the silk with your fore- 

 finger and thumb, wind them round the shank of the hook, 

 still supplying the short strands with new ones, as they fail, 

 till you come to the end and fasten off. When you have so 

 done, clip off the ends of the feathers and trim the body of 

 the palmer small at the extremity, and full in the middle, and 

 wax both ends of your silk, which are now divided, and lie 

 at either end of the hook. 



" Lay your work by you ; and taking a strong bold hackle, 

 with fibres about half an inch long, straighten the stem care- 

 fully, and holding the small end between the fore-finger and 

 thumb of your left hand, with those of the right stroke the 

 fibres the contrary way to that which they naturally he ; and 

 taking the hook, and holding it as before, lay the hackle into 

 the bent of the hook, with the hollow (which is the palest) 

 side upwards, and whip it very fast to its ^place ; in doing 

 whereof, be careful not to tie in many of the fibres; or if 

 you should chance to do so, pick . them out with the point of 

 a very large needle. 



" When the hackle is thus made fast, the utmost care and 

 nicety is necessary in winding it on ; for if you fail in this, 

 your fly is spoiled, and you must begin all again : to prevent 

 which, keeping the hollow or pale side to your left hand, and 

 as much as possible the side of the stem down on the dubbing, 

 wind the hackle twice round; and holding fast what you 

 have so wound, pick out the loose fibres which you may have 



