Blacker's Art of Fly Making, &c.

Part 1

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ENTERED AT STATIONERS' HALL.

LONDON: PRINTED BY GEO. NICHOLS, EARL'S COURT, LEICESTER SQUARE.

PATRONISED BY H.R.H. PRINCE ALBERT.

BLACKER'S, ART OF FLY MAKING, &c.,

COMPRISING ANGLING, & DYEING OF COLOURS,

WITH ENGRAVINGS OF SALMON & TROUT FLIES SHEWING THE PROCESS OF THE GENTLE CRAFT AS TAUGHT IN THE PAGES.

* * * * *

WITH DESCRIPTIONS OF FLIES FOR THE SEASON OF THE YEAR AS THEY COME OUT ON THE WATER.

REWRITTEN & REVISED BY THE AUTHOR BLACKER, HIMSELF, FISHING TACKLE MAKER OF 54, DEAN ST, SOHO, LONDON.

1855.

CONTENTS.

Page. Preface v The Art of Fly Making 1 An Easy Method to make the Trout Fly 3 An Easy Method of making a Plain Salmon Fly 8 To make the Trout Fly, in the best and most approved method 13 To make the Palmer, or Double-Hackle Fly 20 How to make the Salmon Fly, as shown in the Beautiful Plate of Engravings on Salmon Hooks 23 Process of making the Gaudy Salmon Fly 30 To make the Winged Larva 42 A Catechism of Fly-Making 46 The Trout Flies for the Season 55 Flies for March 57 Flies for April 60 Flies for May 64 Flies for June 69 Flies for July 72 Flies for August 76 Fishing Rods and Fly Fishing 80 Fly Fishing for Salmon 88 An Account of the Salmon, and its Varieties 96 The Salmon Fry 100 A Description of the Fifteen Salmon Flies Engraved in the Plates 104 Spring Flies 117 Salmon Rivers 120 The River Tweed 121 The River Shannon 123 The Lakes of Clare 124 The Lakes of Killarney 126 Lough Curran, Waterville 133 Connamara and Ballynahinch 138 Ballyna 142 Ballyshannon 145 The Rivers Bush and Bann 149 The River Bann 156 Lakes of Westmeath 163 The River Lee, at Cork 169 Salmon Rivers in Scotland 170 The River Tay 171 The Dee and Don 176 The River Spey 177 The Findhorn 179 Rivers and Lakes adjacent to Fort William, on the Caledonian Canal 180 Salmon Flies for Fort William, &c. 186 Salmon Flies for the Ness 187 The River Shin 189 The River Thurso 191 The River Esk 194 Loch Leven 195 The River Allan 196 Loch Awe and River 200 The Rivers Irvine, Girvan, and Stincher, in Ayrshire 203 Rivers of Wales.--The Conway 205 The River Dovey 205 The River Tivey 206 The Wye, Monmouth 207 The River Severn 208 The Trent 209 Rivers of York and Derby 210 The Hodder 211 Rivers of Derby 211 The Rivers Wandle and Coln 212 Bait Fishing.--The River Thames 216 Perch 218 Barbel 219 Pike 221 Roach 224 Dace 226 Carp 226 Chub 227 Gudgeons and Minnows 228 Baits 229 The Art of Dyeing Fishing Colours 232 To Dye Yellow 234 To Dye Brown 236 To Dye a Yellow-Brown 237 To Dye Blue 238 To Dye Red 239 To Dye Orange 240 To Dye Purple or Violet 241 To Dye Crimson 241 To Dye Scarlet. 242 Crimson Red in Grain 243 To Dye Green Drake Feathers and Fur 243 To Dye Claret 244 Another way to Dye Claret 245 To Dye Black 246 To Dye Greens of various Shades 246 To Dye Lavender or Slate Dun, &c. 247 Blues 248 A Silver Grey 248 A Coffee or Chesnut 249 To Dye Olives and a Mixture of Colours 249 A Concise way of Dyeing Colours 250 The Materials necessary for Artificial Fly Making 256

PREFACE.

I know not how to apologise for submitting a Second Edition of this little Book to the notice of the Angling few, after the appearance of so many by clever writers, except the many calls I had for it, and a sincere desire of improving farther upon a craft that has not hitherto been clearly promulgated by a real practitioner; consequently my great object is to benefit and amuse my readers, by giving them something practical, which at the present time may be particularly wanted by those who love to make their own flies, whose wants, without doubt, will be found sufficiently supplied in this book; the tyro will appreciate it as valuable to him, and the senior angler who may, perchance, be in possession of it, and who may be singularly fond of making his flies, and amusing himself dyeing the hackles and colours, &c., will, I am persuaded, consider it a treasure.

My endeavours have been unceasing for many years past, in striving to please the great Salmon Fishers and Trout Fishers of this Country, and I must confess that my labours have not been in vain; they have generously conferred upon me their very kind patronage and good will, benefits for which I hold them in very great estimation. Under these circumstances, I have taken much pains to write the book in a befitting manner to suit their tastes and purposes, although my inability in many instances has been an obstacle, nevertheless with all my faults I claim the title of Fisherman, an humble and unimportuned name which no reasonable dispensation can deprive me of.

From my boyhood, I took great delight in ranging along the banks of the beautiful and romantic streams of my native land, Ireland; and having also been for many years a skilful Fly Fisher of no little commendation, in both Great Britain and Hibernia, it is my desire to impart to the world, plainly and easily, the knowledge I have acquired, that all those who wish to become masters of the art, may, by patience and practice, and a close adherence to the instructions I shall lay down, derive the fullest benefit from my experience.

I have endeavoured in the following treatise on Fly-making, to divest the subject, as far as possible, of all technicalities and superfluities; at the same time, I have entered into such full details in the construction of the Fly, that by adopting the process I have pointed out, and following the instructions I have given, the aspirants to the art of Fly-making may speedily become proficients.

In this little book there will be found nothing imaginary, but it is purely written from the practice of angling, so that I may without scruple, justly entitle it THE ART OF FLY-MAKING, ANGLING, AND DYEING OF COLOURS. It is also interspersed with many useful remarks that will no doubt agreeably entertain my readers.

No man has taken such pains to improve upon the angler's craft as I; on every article in the whole range of fishing tackle I have made some improvement on rods, flies, lines, reels, and tackle of every sort; and in these pages have left a lasting memorial of my handicraft to the fly-fisher, from whom I have hidden nothing that might retard him in his progress, and who will appreciate it for the great deal of matter propounded in little compass to prevent incumbrance; that the lovers of fly fishing, which has superior claims, may have an opportunity of keeping it in their side pocket,--to be convenient and handy when on their piscatory excursions, the exercise and variety of which will be found advantageous to the health, and the calming of the mind--things not to be purchased; enjoying at the same time the harmonious notes of the warblers of the grove, and musing upon the diversity of the prospects around, while straying along the beautiful streams and vallies of this delightful country.

The list of flies I have given, will be found very valuable, and the tyro will take great delight in imitating these flies necessary for use, and suiting the colours exactly to each, keeping to their symmetrical forms as they appear with his light materials. This beautiful branch of fly-making, peculiarly my own, cannot fail to perfect the angler who is scientific and ingenious, the result of which will be never-failing success.

I have added to the art of fly-making full instructions, and the most approved receipts for dyeing mohair, pighair, feathers, and other materials most useful and appropriate for imitating the natural flies and stuffs the most killing for Trout and Salmon; and which will retain their brilliancy through all the vicissitudes to which they may be exposed.

To bring the Engravings of the flies to the greatest perfection, I have stood at the elbow of the artist who executed this part of the work, that they might be turned out exact to my own models, which renders them and the descriptions more intelligible, as the shade in the fibre of each feather is shown in the plate, in the clearest and finest manner imaginable, that it may be properly seen how these artificial flies are constructed,--the resemblance of those beautiful ones, the productions of the Great Author of Nature, that Trout and Salmon do love to feed upon.

I have also given the principal rivers of England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales, with the flies best adapted to each, which will enable the fisher to have all things in readiness on his arrival at their localities, and sally out on the finny tribe fearless of disappointment; and for the younger branch of anglers, I have shown the various sorts of fish, with the tackle and baits best adapted to catch them.

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