Blacker's art of fly making, &c. — Key Ideas to Explore

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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.

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

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.