Q.—As the hackles are a nice point to perform, how are they struck?
A.—I take hold of the hackles with the pliers at the points, both to stand the one way, give two rolls round the shoulder to make it full, and proceed with them slantingly on their backs to the tail, let the pliers hang with them and roll the tying silk twice over them, cut off the superfluous fibres of the hackles, take two running knots, and lay on a little varnish to harden the tying, press down the hackles with the fingers to slope them towards the tail, and the fly is completed.
Q.—When you wish to make a larger Salmon Fly, how do you undertake it?
A.—I tie on the hook and gut firmly together, as in Plate I, on salmon hooks, take hold of it by the shank opposite the barb, roll on a piece of broad tinsel to tip it, tie on a topping for tail, with a black ostrich tag.
Q.—Having gone thus far, how do you manage the pig hair body?
A.—Having laid before me two or three colours of pig hair, I roll a piece of fine floss silk on first next the tail, I then twist a piece of pig hair on the silk, roll it up towards the head, shifting up a little and tie, take another piece of hair, and another, and do in like manner (see the pig hair body of No. 2, on salmon hooks).
Q.—How is the hackle struck on over the body?
A.-Having held the fly by the shank to form the body, I now turn it and hold it by the bend, the hackle and tinsel previously tied in, as in Plate II, on salmon hooks, I roll the tinsel up first and the hackle next in rotation with it; Plate V. will show the tinsel rolled over the floss silk body, and the hackle ready to roll on.
Q.—Having rolled on the hackle, and turned a jay hackle over the shoulder, how do you proceed with the wing?
A.—I take two golden pheasant neck feathers and tie them on tightly first, then sprig them at each side with various fibres of feathers (see the wing in the plate prepared).