The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-07-18
FINE FLIES CATCH FINE FISH.
The American Fly Has supplantcd
All Others.
From the New York Press.

From the New York Press.
While the angler of this country stands
far ahead in his experiences in casting the
fly, many know little about the art of fly
tying, and few know that in New York
city is the only fly factory in this coun-
try and that it is the largest in the world.
Once Great Britain held the palm for
artificial flies and exported them to this
country. Now American flies are export
ed to England. The superior system of su-
pervision of every process of manufacture
and inspection Of the finished products is
one reason for this; but undoubtedly the
method of team working almost uni
versally employed in England is to blame
largely for the loss of their trade. Team
working" means that the fiy-tying is
done at homes and not in a regular fac
tory. IN tnls way one family may work
for years on a few patterns, become me-
chanical and lose ali interest in it, whi.e
in the factory in question no one is en-
ployed who does not seem 60 be likely to
take an interest in the work.
This factory would satisfy an artist or
any lover of beautiful things, even though
he despised the Waltonian. The first Sec
ton is the feather storage, where in tin
lined bins are stored feathers from almost
every known bird of brilliant plumage,
Europe, Africa and Asia not accepted.
These are divided, in the first instance
into those of sea fowl and land fowl The
former are preferred because of the grea.-
er amount of oil contained in them, which
makes the fly more durable in water. So
hard is it to keep an adequate supply of
the smaller types that it is necessary TO
carry a stock for four years at least.
There is no known or recognized marker
for them, nor a set price, the manufac-
turers finding the supply here and there,
and fixing prices according to quantity.
For instance, barred feathers vary from
q quarter of a cent to cents each. These
bulk feathers have to be carefully select
ed and sorted by girls trained to the
work. They are sorted first TO color then
to quality and then to size. The quality
is determined by the closeness of the bars
to each other. The size ranges from IA"
which are about one inch long, to -,
which are about four and half inches
long, these numbers representing the size
Of the fly they are intended for. Few
feathers are dyed. most of those used
being natural colors. 1t takes about
twelve months before a girl is considered
competent to tell the distinction between
the close running numbers at a glance.
Every year about $50 girls are taken on
for the various departments to become
fiytyers eventually, and cut of these not
more than ten have the requisite delicacy
and quickness of eye and hand.
When the girls sit down to tie ten girls
to every 100 simply wait on the fiymakers
to bring them the various supplies called
for, and these ten girls are kept hustling
the whole time. The hooks with the gut
smells attached are held in the hand, and,
with low-priced flies the body is first
formed by wrapping round the shank
piece of suitable worsted, this being the
base, in varying colors. for the majority of
that grade; then a strip of feather is
wound around the upper part of the body,
so that the quill section (really only film
of skim lies its full length next to the
body while the bars of the feathers stand
out in every direction from the body like
the spokes in a wheel. This sounds easy,
bat it is a trick TO do it property, and on
ii depends the ultimate success OF the
fly. Then the wings are added, these be-
ing another strip of feather bars tied so
that It stands up behind the collar-like
strip just adjusted at an angle OF about
as degrees, and this effect is secured by a
peculiar twisting, whipping and knotting
of the silk which holds the tiny creation
together.
While the British flies have wings lying
almost fiat on the shank Of the hook, the
American fly has wings standing well up;
this is necessary by reason of the more
rapid streams In this country.
In the better kind Of fly the process is
reversed to a great extent. Then the
bronzed hook, specially tested for temper
and strength, with full hollow point, is
taken. and the wings is whipped at once
TO the shank, lying nat forward from the
barb; then the body OF chenille, etc. Is
whipped on securely, then the tnsel, or
whatever the species calls for: then the
body being completed. the wing Is bent
backward and whipped In It's proper posi-
ton. Thus each portion Is separately
whipped. and all double whipped by the
finish az the head. which Is then eemented
and vanished. A girl can tie five to six
dozen o. the high grades. and OF the cheap
er grades from twelve 70 sixteen dozen
per day. The record varies according to
pattern.
IL Is necessary 20 take all the precau-
lions Of separate tyings. cementlng and
furnishings. 70 make the ny as strong
throughout as possible, for few appreciate
the terrific strain upon a ny when IL Is
whipped through water.
The flies almost all are modelled on some
natural insect or bug. the exception being
certain combinations OF coiors which
have. for no clearly understood reasons
proved successful In the past. Nowadays
a new feature Is being taken into consld-
GRAFTON. and that o. the appearance OF the
natural ny when wet and the appearance
OF the artificial ny when wet In the
water most blues become nearly black.
reds become purple. yellow grows several
shades lighter. etc. according 70 the wa