Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-05-14

The exquisite work of the fly makers
fly tiers is more correct, but the phrase
savors of the crude-as seen in the tackle
stores is artistic to a degree, and when ex-
amined by the novice may we'll appear I'M
approachable in its excellence The deli
cate workmanship, the fragile materials,
the dainty colors, combine to form things
which look as though years Of training
were necessary in order to make them.
And in truth this is so. But there are flies
and flies, and some are far more difficult to
make than others. In the art OF tying
flies one begins with that which is easy.
and climbs to greater heights as the fin
gers become expert and the eye is trained.
When man reads the average book on
tying flies he is apt to wonder where he
may get the materials Cancels hair, the
fur from the inside of a hare's ear, the
feathers of the scarlet ibis, the wood duck
or the golden pheasant are not picked up
in the street, and the boy or man living in
a country village or small town is apt to
think he might get these if he were able to
visit a large city. Now, while it is true
that things of this sort are very nice to
have, and while it is equally fact that
the man who ties his own flies will some
how accumulate all the material, it is the
greatest mistake to suppose he must have
everything to begin. With a few pieces of
colored silks, some wax, few feathers
from the fowls, peacock's feather, some
embroidery tinsel and some worsted, he
may make flies. In fact, while the closest
imitation of the natural fly is none too
good some of the most effective lures have
been made from any chance material that
came to hand.
Tho.o ic
gut, and speaking for one person was
never able to make it. | have soaked silk
worms in vinegar and pinned them on
boards, and drawn the gut from the ST k
sack, with result uniformly bad. No
doubt other men succeed, and there is no
harm in trying, but for myself I buy the
best hank of gut can get. Nor do l care
about the color, so long as the gut is round
and even.
Having the gut and the hook, wax a
piece of dark green silk and whip the gut
down to the shank of the hook. leaving a
good long end of silk. The gut goes on
the inside Of the shank, and the end must
be crushed fat between the teeth. Take
two fibers Of a dark feather, place the ends
on the outside of the hook near the end Of
the whipping, toward the bend, and give
two or three turns of the silk, fastening
with half hitch. Take a strip of tinsel
and fasten the end on by one or two turns
of silk, after which run the silk in three
turns TO the head of the shank and turn
down between the gut and the end. Wind
the tinsel evenly up and fasten with turn
of the silk and half hitch. Now put on
the hackle.
The hackle is the long, narrow feather
that grows around the neck of rooster
and the wise man collects hackles when
ever and wherever he may. TO use it you
draw it once or twice through the fingers
the reverse way in order to ruff1e it up.
Then fasten the tip to the hook with
turn of silk and half hitch, about six
teenth of an inch back from the head
Holding the hook in the left hand, you
wind the hackle around it, smoothing the
feather back so that the rib may wind
closely. The end of the rib is secured by
two or three turns OF silk. The next step
is to put on a peacock's herl. This consists
of a little bunch of plume cut from the eye
of a peacock's tail feather 1t is punched
together and tied in front of the hackle
and outside the hook. Get it on straight
and then fasten securely With the silk
Touch the head of your fly with varnish.
and you will probably have an apology for
the Alexandra, which, were it fly, would
be described thus: Body, silver tinsel
wings, peacock's herl; hackle, black roos-
ter; tail, dark,