Select a feather the colour you want, and whose fibres are of the
length suitable for the size of the fly you wish to dress. Strip off
all superfluous fibres, leaving on the stem of the feather no more than
you require for your fly, then having previously waxed about half a
yard of fine silk of whatever colour you deem best, take your gut or
hair and hook into your left hand, lay the gut inside the shank of the
hook nearly down to the bend, then whip the gut and hook, at the end of
your hook together, then lay your feather the reverse way from the top
of the feather on to the gut and hook, make fast the feather with your
silk, then wind your silk on the hook as far as you intend the fibres
to extend, holding the hook, gut and silk in your left, with your right
wind the fibres down to the silk and make all fast, then wind the
remaining part of the gut and hook as far as nearly the bend of the
hook with your silk, and fasten; wind your silk back again to the
feather, make all fast, cut off the remains of the silk, smooth down
the fibres, press them between your finger and thumb, and having
arranged them to your mind, the fly is completed. Instead of carrying
the silk back again to the feather from the bend of the hook, you may
finish there, if you prefer doing so. I prefer the former. Making
hackle flies is such an easy matter, that any person with any ingenuity
and attention, may soon become a proficient in fabrication of them, and
by diligent observation as to the size, colour, and peculiarities of
the great variety of natural flies, which make their appearance on the
water at particular seasons and hours of the day, he will at all times
be enabled to pursue his diversion with the best chance of success.
Nature best followed best secures the sport.