ing put in the red feathers. Let them remain until by frequent examination they are found to have taken the proper colour.

3. TO STAIN FEATHERS AN OLIVE DUN, ETC.

Make a very strong infusion of the outside brown leaves or coating of an onion root, by allowing the ingredients to stand warm by the fire for ten or twelve hours. If dun feathers are boiled in this dye they will become an olive dun; and white feathers a yellow. If a small piece of copperas be added the latter colour will become a useful muddy yellow, darker or lighter as may be required, and approaching to a yellow olive dun, according to the quantity of copperas used.

4. TO DYE A MALLARD'S FEATHER FOR THE GREEN Drake.

Tie up some of the best feathers in bunches of a dozen, and boil them in the same mordant of alum as given in No. 1, merely to get the grease out. Then boil them in an infusion of fustick to procure a yellow, and subdue the brightness of this yellow by adding copperas to the infusion.

5. TO DYE FEATHERS DARK RED AND PURPLE.

Hackles of various colours boiled (without alum) in an infusion of logwood and Brazil wood dust, until they are as red as they can be made by this

means, may be changed to a deeper red by putting them into a mixture of muriatic acid and tin, and to a purple by a warm solution of potash. As the muriatic acid is not to be saturated with tin, the solution must be much diluted. If it burns your tongue much, it will burn the feathers a little.

6. TO DYE FEATHERS VARIOUS SHADES OF RED, AMBER,

AND BROWN.

First boil them in the alum mordant (see No. 1); secondly, boil them in an infusion of fustick strong enough to bring them to a bright yellow (about a table spoon full to a pint of water), then boil them in a dye of mather, peach wood, or Brazil wood. To set the colour, put a few drops of "the prepared spirits," (which may be had from a silk dyer), or a little nitrate of tin, into the last mentioned dye.

7. TO STAIN SILK GUT THE COLOUR OF RET, WEEDS, ETC.

Make an infusion of onion coatings (see No. 3), put the gut into it when quite cold, and let it remain until the hue becomes as dark as may be required.

Gut may be stained in an infusion of green tea, a useful colour for some waters.

A dye of logwood will turn it to a pale blue.

T

CHAPTER III.

MANNER OF FISHING FOR TROUT AND GRAYLING.

Preparation of the Rod and Line. Art of Throwing. Choice of Weather. State of the Water. Choice of a Fly. Appearance of Life to be given to the Fly. Buzz flies sometimes preferred. Rising short, &c. Sudden cessation of Rises, &c. Places to be whipped, &c. Throwing to a Trout just risen. Striking. Killing. Landing. Differences between Trout and Grayling-fishing. Manner of presenting the Fly. Landing, &c.

WHEN the rod is put together the rings upon it should fall into a line with each other. The reel containing the line is sometimes fastened to a belt round the body, but generally attached to the rod at the distance of ten to fourteen inches from the end of the but, (i. e.) that place where it produces a small and pleasant degree of counterbalance to the upper end of the rod. The fine end of the line with a loop receives the foot line, and to the fine end of the foot line is attached a fly or palmer, which is called the Stretcher. Other flies, which are made fast to the foot line, are called Droppers, two of which are generally sufficient. The first

dropper is placed at about one yard distant from the stretcher, the second about three quarters of a yard from the first, each upon a piece of gut about four inches long. And the knots used for this purpose are so contrived, that they can be detached and resumed at pleasure.

the tyro, with a

Throwing.

In order to acquire the art of throwing a fly, it may be advisable to practise, previously to visiting the stream, in an open space free from trees, where a piece of paper may represent the spot required to be thrown to. Taking the wind in his back, short line at first, may attempt to cast within an inch or two of the paper, and afterwards by degrees lengthen his line as his improvement proceeds; he may then try to throw in such a direction that the wind may in some measure oppose the line and rod; and lastly, he may practise throwing against the wind. In this way any person may become an adept in throwing a fly, much sooner than by trusting solely to the experience which he may get when at the water-side; for his attention being then wholly engrossed by the hopes of a rise, &c. a bad habit may be very easily engendered, which will not be as easily got rid of.

He should endeavour to impart to the line a good uniform sweep or curve round the head; for

if it returns too quickly or sharply from behind him, a crack will be heard and the fly whipped off. There is some little difficulty in acquiring this management. The larger the fly the more resistance it meets with in the air; this resistance causes it to make a better curve, and the danger of smacking it off is lessened. A Palmer made as shewn in plate xix is not easily lost in this

manner.

The attempt to describe by words all the precautions and manipulations requisite for throwing a fly successfully and gracefully would be as hopeless a task as that of teaching to dance by such means. It must be abundantly evident that the fly should drop as light as possible on the water, and that an awkward unmannerly splash will inevitably mar the delusion.

Weather, &c.

The best days to select for fly fishing are those that are warm and cloudy, with a gentle breeze from the South or West, causing a ripple upon the water; by which the fish is not only prevented from seeing the fisherman so plainly as in smooth water, but is also deprived of so good an opportunity of detecting the fly-maker's artifice.

The water after a flood sometimes remains for several days too turbid for fly fishing. When it