April, 1919 
FOREST AND STREAM 
167 
to which turpentine is added in sufficient 
quantity that when the rosin is dissolved 
it shall be of the consistency of molasses. 
A little of this is placed on the forefin- 
ger and the thread drawn through it until 
it is sufficiently waxed. This is a dirty, 
sticky application, and is properly han- 
dled by waxing a dozen or more threads 
of tieing silk three feet long each, the 
day before using them. If you neglect 
this you will be obliged to cleanse your 
fingers after every fly you tie. The other 
liquid is white shellac varnish, made by 
adding alcohol to bleached shellac, allow- 
ing it to stand in a warm place until dis- 
solved and it becomes like thin varnish. 
This is applied to the silk that forms the 
head of the fly where the wings are at- 
tached and finishes it off, so to speak. 
O F materials for tieing on the loop 
attached to each hook, and fixing in 
place all materials, in the make up 
of our new fly, tieing silk of exceeding 
fineness and strength is required. Two 
hanks of silkworm gut, one fine, for loop- 
ing the fly, the other coarse for making 
the frame work of the detached body, is 
not to be omitted, nor yet white horse 
hair, which is to be dyed all the primary 
colors. Floss silk of all shades, narrow 
gold and silver tinsel; right and left 
wings of turkey, duck, geese, ibis, etc., 
in fact any kind that will give you the 
shade required for your wing. Last not 
least, seal fur from a very young seal 
pup, dyed all the leading colors, furs of 
all acquatic animals are preferred, from 
the fact that these are more or less wa- 
terproof. I neglected to mention a few 
golden pheasant feathers, especially the 
tippets. With this material any natural 
insect can be imitated. A small table 
should be selected and covered with 
white paper. The fly vise is affixed to 
its edge near the middle. The posi- 
tion of the table should be in front of 
a window to insure sufficient light. 
Light your spirit lamp and taking a 
straight shanked hook. Fig. No. 1, in 
your pliers heat it in the flame un- 
til it becomes a cherry red, from the 
middle of hook shown in Fig. 1 to the end 
of the shank, then bend to the shape 
shown in Fig. 2. 
T here is considerable doubt concern- 
ing what act can be committed of 
“right down cussedness” which can 
be classed as the unpardonable sin. I’ll 
tell you what it is, it is to fasten a loop 
on a hook that will pull out on the first 
strain placed upon it. In order that 
this awful sin will not appear against 
you on the pages of the Big Black Book 
I propose to show you how to attach a 
loop to a hook, either large or small, that 
cannot be pulled out by any known 
means. Take a peice of waxed tieing 
silk about two feet long, fasten it se- 
curely at a point about the middle, shown 
in Fig. 3, wind it spirally six or eight 
times around the shank, until it reaches 
the extreme end of it, then secure it with 
a half hitch No. 3. Clip off the thread 
close to the hook. Cut off a piece of gut, 
and bend it to form a loop. No. 4; place 
it in the inside of the hook, from the 
point about the middle, shown in No. 3 to 
the end of the shank, making the loop 
at the end the desired size, wind it evenly 
and securely with the long thread in Fig. 
3 to the part designated in Fig. 3, 
and half hitch it. It will then appear 
exactly as No. 5. Now fasten the hook 
securely in the vise allowing the long 
thread to remain. Cut off two pieces of 
stout gut. Fig. 6, one an inch and a half, 
the other an eighth of an inch longer. 
This extra eighth of an inch is to project 
that much or more beyond the other piece 
to which it will be attached ; this will give 
the correct taper to the extreme end of 
the detached body. Take these two pieces 
of gut between the finger and thumb; 
fasten the tieing silk securely around 
both pieces with the thread. Fig. 6, wind 
A few more intricate moves in the development of the fly 
The finishing touches 
it spirally and tightly, and carry the 
thread to the extreme end and fasten it 
with a half hitch. 
W E will now fasten the tail to the 
gut frame work we have con- 
structed for the body. Take two 
long Aliments from the tail feather of 
any bird the desired color. Fig. 7. Take 
Fig. 6 between the finger and thumb, 
and with the thread, which is half 
hitched, make a little knob at the end 
by winding it around one tiny place 
a number of times. This is shown in 
Fig. 8; this gives a finish at the very end, 
besides imparting a natural appearance; 
last, not least, it keeps the tail curving 
upward. Take the two fibres of feather. 
Fig. 7, and place them at the point 
below the knob you have made, binding 
them securely and firmly, as shown in 
Fig. 8. Now as you require to make the 
body of your fly a certain size, and in 
proper proportion, having it also of even 
taper, all the material, I mean the silk, 
the tinsel and horsehair should not be 
attached, and the ends clipped off near 
(CONTINUED ON PAGE 191) 
