Page images
PDF
EPUB

which being done, clip off the root end of the feather close by the arming, and then whip the silk fast and firm about the hook, and towght until you come to the bend of the hook; but not further, as you do at London; and so make a very unhandsome, and, in plain English, a very unnatural and shapeless fly; which being done, cut away the end of your towght, and fasten it, and then take your dubbing, which is to make the body of your fly, as much as you think convenient, and holding it lightly with your hook betwixt the finger and thumb of your left-hand, take your silk with the right, and twisting it betwixt the finger and thumb of that hand, the dubbing will spin itself about the silk, which when it has done, whip it about the armed hook backward, till you come to the setting on of the wings; and then take the feather for the wings, and divide it equally into two parts, and turn them back towards the bend of the hook, the one on the one side, and the other on the other of the shank, holding them fast in that posture betwixt the fore-finger and thumb of your left-hand; which done, warp them so down as to stand, and slope towards the bend of the hook and having warped up to the end of the shank, hold the fly fast betwixt the finger and thumb of your left-hand, and then take the silk betwixt the finger and thumb of your right-hand, and where the warping ends, pinch or nip it with your thumb-nail against your finger, and strip away the remainder of your dubbing from the

:

silk, and then with the bare silk whip it once or twice about, make the wings to stand in due order, fasten, and cut it off; after which, with the point of a needle raise up the dubbing gently from the warp, twitch off the superfluous hairs of your dubbing, leave the wings of an equal length,-your fly will never else swim true,-and the work is done. And this way of making a fly, which is certainly the best of all other, was taught me by a kinsman of mine, one Captain Henry Jackson, a near neighbour, an admirable fly-angler, by many degrees the best fly-maker, that ever I yet met with. And now that I have told you how a fly is to be made, you shall presently see me make one, with which you may peradventure take a Trout this morning, notwithstanding the unlikeliness of the day; for it is now nine of the clock, and fish will begin to rise, if they will rise to-day; I will walk along by you, and look on, and after dinner I will proceed in my lecture of Fly-fishing.

VIAT. I confess I long to be at the river; and yet I could sit here all day to hear you: but some of the one, and some of the other, will do well : and I have a mighty ambition to take a Trout in your river Dove.

Pisc. I warrant you shall: I would not for more than I will speak of but you should, seeing I have so extolled my river to you: nay, I will keep you here a month, but you shall have one good day of sport before you go.

VIAT. You will find me, I doubt, too tractable that way; for in good earnest, if business would give me leave, and that if it were fit, I could find in my heart to stay with you for ever.

Pisc. I thank you, Sir, for that kind expression; and now let me look out my things to make this

[merged small][graphic][merged small][merged small]

Box, come, give me my dubbing-bag here presently; and now, Sir, since I find you so honest a man, I will make no scruple to lay open my treasure before you.

VIAT. Did ever any one see the like! what a heap of trumpery is here! certainly never an Angler

[graphic][subsumed][merged small][merged small][merged small][subsumed]
« PreviousContinue »