cidae, a masterpiece to
bring the joy of living and dreams of spring to the angler's heart.

Beginners are requested to reject any inclination to skip over the
first part of this book, nor to attempt the tying of the more delicate
and difficult dry flies before they have had sufficient preliminary
training. {ix} This book is so written that the easier flies to make are
the first encountered. Although you may not expect to use Bucktail
Streamers, the fundamental principles employed in their construction,
the knack of handling fur, feathers and tinsel, will be acquired, and a
sense of proportion will be realized. I sincerely encourage you to begin
at the beginning, and by careful and patient study the satisfactory
result will be the ability to make flies that are second to none.

The illustrations in this book are all drawn to correct proportions
except the tying silk, which is purposely drawn large for clearness
of illustration. Follow these illustrations, and begin by making a
very careful study of Diagram 3, "Bucktails" (page 15). Here will
be learned how to overcome some of the difficulties encountered by
beginners. Many of the fundamentals learned in tying Bucktails are
used in tying all of the flies to follow. For instance, in putting
the wings or tail on a wet fly, the same method of holding the wing
between the thumb and finger and making the loose loop, are explained
as when putting the hair or tail on a Bucktail. Putting the wings on
a fly correctly seems to be the greatest difficulty encountered by
the beginner. Consequently, the necessity of carefully studying
Figs. 4, 5, 10, and 11 of Diagram 3 cannot be too greatly emphasized.
Before tying any other part of the fly, place a bare hook in the
vise, and practice tying on the tail, {x} and then the wings, until you
have mastered this knack, and have the wings and tail setting straight
on top of the hook, as in Figs. 4, 5, 10 and 11 of Diagram 3. First
using hair and then a section of feather.

Other faults of the beginner where literal descriptions are followed
entirely or where illustrations are not drawn to correct proportions or
followed closely are as follows. The wings are usually too large, and
much too long for the size of the hook, and the tail is most always too
long, as are the hackles. The bodies seldom have a nicely tapered shape,
and most always start too far back on the hook shank. The ribbing is
seldom put on in even tight spirals. The hair on