Fig. 9.
Fig. 11(left) and Fig. 10 (right).
The wool must now be taken between the thumb and first finger of the right hand, and twisted round the tying silk by rubbing the thumb and finger together. The “dubbing” is now spun on, and should cover from about a quarter to three-quarters of an inch of the tying silk, according to the size of the hook. It should be wound round the shank to the head, leaving a small portion of the shank bare at the head for the hackle and wings. The tinsel or wire is then wound round in a spiral to the head, tied, and the surplus cut off. The hackle should now be applied. The longest fibres of the hackle must be of the same length as the hook. Clear off the flue with the nails of the thumb and first finger, and then holding the tip of the hackle in the left draw down its fibres by pressing the hackle between the thumb and first finger of the right hand and drawing them downwards. The hackle will now appear as shown in [Fig. 10]. Take the tip of the hackle thus prepared between the nails of the thumb and first finger of the left hand, and the butt of the hackle in the hackle pliers, so that the back or dull surface of the hackle faces towards you. Now, holding the hackle pliers in the palm of the right hand with the third and fourth fingers, put the first and second fingers behind the hackle, and by stroking them down with the thumb make the fibres of the hackle which point upwards point down in the same direction as the lower row. The hackle will now appear as shown in [Fig. 11].
Fig. 12.