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BLACKER

Started by Traditionalist, October 25, 2011, 05:00:55 PM

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Traditionalist




1.—The Wren Tail Fly. (Standard.)
HOOK f.—Body, Amber mohair. Tail, Two fibres of the drake feather, gold tip. Legs or Hackle, Wren tail. Wings, Partridge's grey tail feather.

2.— Grouse Hackle. (May and June.)
HOOK ff.—Body, Gold colour or orange silk. Legs, Grouse hackle. Gold tip.  When you tie on the grouse hackle take hold of the same in your right hand ; and with the left, the point of the same ; draw the fibres back with the right, tie it on at the point, and roll it on the back or outside the feather, as this keeps the hackle slanting downwards.

3.— The Ant Fly. (August.)
HOOK fe.—Body, Cinnamon brown mohair. Legs, Red hackle (small). Wings, Starling's wing feather.

4.— The Sooty Olive Fly. (July)
HOOK f.—Body, Dark olive mohair. Tail, Gold tip. Legs.Dark olive hackle at the shoulders. Wings, Woodcock or starling.

5.—Soldier Palmer Fly. (Standard.)
HOOK ff.—Body, Peacock harl. Tail, Tip of gold. Legs, Two black-red hackles at the
shoulder. ( Palmer flies have no wings).

6.—Red Palmer Fly. (From May to July.)
HOOK ff.—Body, Red or orange mohair, with gold twist or tinsel up the body. Legs, Two red hackles, wound on from the tail up to the head, in rotation with the tinsel.

7.—Golden Palmer. (July.)
HOOK fff.—Body, Yellow silk and tinsel, rolled on from the tail. Legs, Two red hackles.

8.—Grey Palmer. (April.)
HOOK fff.—Body, Peacock harl, and gold or silver twist, wound up to the head. Legs, Two grey hackles, in like manner.

9.— The Black Palmer. (May.)
HOOK ff.—Body, Black mohair or silk, gold tip. Legs, Two black hackles, rolled on
from the tail.

10. — The Little Castle Fly. (1st. June.)
HOOK fe.—Body, Yellow silk, gold tip. Tail, Two fibres of mallard, dyed yellow. Legs, Yellow hackle at the shoulder. Wings, Thrush's wing, or yellow feather.

11. — The Grey Housewife. (April and Sept.)
HOOK ff.—Body, Light brown mohair, mixed with hare's ear fur. Tail, Two fibres of the mallard. Legs, Partridge neck feather, or grey cock hackle. Wings, Hen phensant's wing, or grey drake.

12.— The Stone Fly. (April and May.)
HOOK fff.—Body, Brown mohair, mixed with yellow mohair. Tail, Two fibres of the mallard. Legs, Black-red hackle, close at the head. Wings, Brown mallard, or hen pheasant's tail.

13.—Cow Dung Fly. (July.)
HOOK f.—Body, Lemon coloured mohair. Legs, Cinnamon coloured hackle. Wings, Landrail's wing.

14.— Black Gnat. (June.)
HOOK fe.—Black ostrich, gold tip. Legs, Small black hackle. Wings, Starling's wing.

15.—The Little Soldier Fly. (Standard.)
HOOK fe.—Body, Gold coloured mohair or floss. Legs, Small black-red hackle. Wings, Starling and partridge tail, mixed.

16.—Hare´s Ear Fly. (March, April, etc.)
HOOK f.—Body, Hare's ear fur, and a little yellow mohair, mixed. Wings, Starling, bunting, or woodcock.

17.—Blue Blow Fly. (June.)
HOOK Midge.—Body, Mole or water-rat's fur, mixed with yellow mohair. Tail, Mouse's whiskers. Legs, Dun hackle. Wings, Tomtit's tail feather.

18.— The Green Drake. (May.)
HOOK fff.—Body, Yellow-green mohair. Tail, Three hairs from a black bear. Legs, Yellowish hackle. Wings, Mallard, dyed yellow — a black head.

19.—Grey Drake. (End of April.)
HOOK fff.—Body, Rat's back fur, mixed with yellow mohair. Tail, Three fibres of the mallard. Legs, Grey hackle. Wings, Grey mallard. Head, Peacock harl.

20.—Hawthorn Fly. (May.)
HOOK ff.— Body, Black mohair. Legs, Black hackle, at the shoulder. Wings, Starling or jay wings.

21._The Black Ant. (July.) .
HOOK f.—Body, Black mohair. Legs, Black hackle. Wings, Water-hen wing, or woodcock.

22.— The Little Gosling. (July.)
HOOK fe.— Body, Yellow green mohair. Legs, Red or cinnamon hackle. Wings, Starling or bunting wing.

23.—The Evening Moth.
HOOK C.—Body, Cream-coloured mohair, full. Legs, Hackle, same colour as body.
Wings, Owl's wing.

The Bee. (Standard.}
HOOK fff.-Body, Yellow tail, then brown, then black. Legs, Black-red hackle, at the head. Wings, Hen pheasant, or partridge wings.

5.—The Brown Bear. (End of March.)
HOOK ff.—Body, Cinnamon brown mohair. Tail, Two fibres of mallard. Legs, Cinnamon hackle. Wings, Woodcock wing.

26.—Faren Fly. (July.) ,
HOOK fe.—Body, Yellow tag at the tail and peacock harl. Legs, Red hackle at the shoulder. Wings, Starling wing, or partridge tail.

27.—The Midge. (June.)
HOOK Midge.—Body, Ash coloured fur. Tail, Two fibres of a grizzle. Hackles. (No legs). Wings, Bunting wing, or lark. ( Fox fur, off the face, or American squirrel.)

28.— The Emerald Fly. (August.)
HOOK Midge.—Body, Emerald-green mohair, or silk. Tail, Two fibres of a grizzle
hackle. Legs, Black-red hackle, (round the shoulder.) Wings,Starling or bunting wing.


29. — The Whirling Dun. (June and July.)
HOOK f.—Body, Water rat's fur ribbed with yellow silk. Tail, Two fibres of a dun hackle. Legs, Dun hackle at the shoulder. Wings, Starling wing.

30.—Pismire. (June and July.)
HOOK fe.—Body, Brown mohair. Legs, Small red hackle, wound up from the tail. (No wings.)

31.— Whirling Brown. (August.)
HOOK f.—Body, Cinnamon brown mohair. Legs, Red or cinnamon hackle. Wings, Woodcock wing.

I have always found the Natural Flies, of every size, to have a tinge of green throughout the year ; and the greyish colour of the flies in the spring months is precisely the same in the latter end of the season. The angler should examine the natural flies at all times when he is on the stream, and if he perceive that they have a tinge of green, he should mix a little with his standard colours, or if the body of the fly is made of floss silk, he should place the green at the shoulder underneath the hackle, and judge of the shade of green he should use by the appearance of the natural fly.

I wish now to give the fly fisher an idea of placing his trout flies on the casting line ; for instance—put on the wren tail or grouse hackle at the end, the hare's ear or whirling dun in the centre ; the black gnat, blue blow, or midge, next your hand or reel line ; be sure to have the casting line the length of the rod, and keep your reel line out of the water at all times when you cast the flies, as the ripple on the surface is sure to scare the fish.

The best and cheapest mode of procuring an assortment of feathers for fly-making is to go to Leadenhall Poultry Market, on Saturday mornings, where cock's hackles of every colour and size, for both trout and salmon flies, from either the living or dead birds, small wings of every variety in their season, turkey and guinea-fowl tail and wing feathers ; mallard, teal, widgeon, and wildfowl feathers of every variety, both British and foreign, can be bought at reasonable prices. Mohair and other furs can be got from the furriers, pig's hair from the brush manufacturers, floss and tying silk from the mercers, gold and silver twist and tinsel from the laceman, and dyeing materials from the druggists and dry-salters.


THE FEATHERS REQUISITE FOR FLY MAKING, AND WHERE FOUND.
The mallard feathers, found on the back and underneath the wings. Teal feathers, underneath the wings. Turkey tails of all kinds, particularly black and white, spotted and brown. Peacock wings and tail feathers. Golden pheasant feathers, and all other foreign feathers which the angler can procure. Blue kingfishers. Guinea-hen feathers, rump and back. Starling wings. Bunting wings. Woodcock wings. Hen pheasant, wings and tail. Partridge tail, rump, and neck. Grouse feathers off the neck. Wren tails. Tomtit tails. Landrails wings. Starling wings. Blue dun cock hackles off the neck, close to the head, for midge flies. Dun crow back feather, for making the gilleruigh fly. Thus—Body, yellow silk, silver tinsel from the tail up. Legs, black hackle, and dun crow at the shoulder. (A particular favourite). Cock-of-the-north tail and rump feathers. Game or dunghill cock hackles, off the head and neck, and the saddle feathers or hackles each side the tail, of every colour. The white hackles for dyeing.

Now, to enable my brothers of the angle to judge of the success attendant upon this mode of fly-making and dyeing the colours, I confidently affirm, that with only three of the flies I have described in the foregoing pages, I have killed thirty dozen of trout in one day, upon the Ochrem water, which meets the Ovoca in the vale of that name, County Wicklow, Ireland, where there is a capital inn, at the wooden bridge, near Arklow, about foru hours ride by coach from Dublin. The three flies I allude to, are, the wren-tail, hare´s ear and yellow, and the little soldier fly.

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