CHAP. II.

A List of the Materials necessary for an Angler to have, and the best Method to make the Palmer and May Fly.

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HOG'S DOWN,

OMBED from the roots of the bristles of black, red, whitish, and sandy-coloured hogs; the white down you may have dyed to any color you like. It is excellent dubbing, because it will stand the water and shines well. To be a competent judge of the real colour of any dubbing, you must hold it between the sun and your eyes. This is a standing rule when you imitate a fly.

CAMEL'S HAIR,

Of a dark and light colour, and one in the medium of both.

BADGER'S HAIR, .

The brown soft fur which is on the skin, and the blackest.

BEAR'S HAIR,

Grey, dun, light and dark coloured, bright brown, and shining brown.

SPANIEL'S HAIR,

From the different parts of a spaniel, especially from behind the ear, brown, dark brown, light brown, and black.

SHEEP'S WOOL,

Of all colours, both natural and artificial; you may have it dyed to any colour.

SEAL'S FUR,

To be had at the trunk-makers; get it dyed from the lightest to the darkest brown, and you will find it much better dubbing than cow or ealf's hair.

MOHAIRS,

Of all colours, black, blue, purple, white, violet, yellow, and tawney, philomot from feuille morte, a dead leaf; and Isabella, which is a whitish yellow, or soiled buff colour.

COW'S HAIR,

The softest you can get from a black, brindled, and red cow; and of these colours, have brown, dark brown, light brown, and black.

COLT'S OR CALF'S HAIR.

These afford very good dubbing, and a variety, especially those hides that have been tewed, or

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dressed in a skinner's lime-pit; but, as I said before, seal's fur dyed is much better than either cow's or either of the hairs of these two; because it is not so harsh, and does not require so much trouble to work it on the hook; and observe further, that this fur is for small flies, and hog's down for large ones.

CAMLETS,

Both hair and worsted of all colours, blue, yellow, dun, brown, dark brown, light brown, red, violet, purple, black, horse-flesh, pink, and

orange.

FURS,

Off the squirrel, especially his tail; a hare, the part off the neck which is a withered fern colour; fox-cub from the tail where it is downy and of an ash colour; an old fox, and old otter, otter-club, futimart, or filmert; a mole, a black cat's tail; a house-mouse, and water-rat; a marten, particularly from off the gills, or spots under the jaws, which is of a fine yellow. These are all to be had at the furriers.

HACKLES.

These are the feathers that hang from the head of a cock, down his neck, and likewise near his tail, they are particularly used in making the palmer fly; get the following colours of them, viz. red, dun, yellowish, white, orange, and black; let not the fibres of them be above half an inch long. Whenever you meet with a cock, whose hackle is

of a strong brown red, buy him, and make the most of the hackles. Note, the feathers of a bantam or cock chick, are good for nothing.

FEATHERS.

To make the wings of artificial flies, &c. it is necessary to be provided with all kinds of feathers; procure therefore those from the back, and other parts of the wild mallard or drake; of a partridge, particularly the red ones in the tail; those of a cock-pheasant's breast and tail; also the wings of a stare or starling, jay, land-rail, black-bird, throstle, fieldfare, water-coot, and a brown hen; likewise the top, or cop, of a pevit, plover, or lap-wing, peacock's herl, green, copper-coloured, and white, also black ostrich's herl, and feathers from the neck and wings of a heron. Observe, that in many instances hereafter that you will meet with, where the mallard's feather is set down for the wings of an artificial fly, that the starling will be preferable, because it is of a finer grain, and will not imbibe the water so much.

CARPETS AND BLANKETS.

There is very good dubbing to be got from blankets, also from an old Turkey carpet; untwist the yarn, and pick out the wool, then separate the colours, wrap them up in different papers, and lay them by.

SILKS, ETC.

Of all colours, straw silk, gold and silver flat

ted wire, or twist; hooks in small chip boxes, with the number of the size of each marked on the outside: wax of all colours, and needles; a sharp pen-knife, and a small sharp pair of scissars, made quite angular, with large bows for the fingers.

N. B. When you make the palmer-fly, suit the colour of the silk to the hackle you dub with; a dun hackle requires yellow silk; a black hackle, sky-blue silk; a brown, or red hackle, red silk; when you make flies that are not palmers, dub with silk that resembles the colour most predominant in the fly; and in making your flies, remember to mix bear's hair and hog's down, with your other dubbing, because they repel the water; make your flies always in hot sun-shiny weather, for your waxed silk will then draw kindly; and when you take the dubbing to imitate a fly, always wet it, and then you will be perfect in your imitation; for although the dubbing when dry may suit, yet when it is wet it may be quite another colour. Marten's fur is the best yellow you can use.

HOW TO MAKE THE PALMER AND MAY-FLY.

First lay all the materials by the side of you, viz. half a yard of fine round even silk worm-gut: half a yard of red silk, well waxed with wax of the same colour: a hook, the size No. 6: a needle: some strands of an ostrich's feather, and a fine red hackle: then take the hook, and hold it by the bend, between the fore-finger and thumb of your left hand, with the shank towards your right hand, and with the point and beard of your hook not under your fingers, but