It is generally considered that fly making cannot be taught by written instruction, but at all events there is something that the experienced, and an immense deal that the partially instructed beginner may add to his store of knowledge, and if the following directions will not make a novice perfect, they may aid him when he has had a few personal lessons. To tie a fly, the gut should be singed in a candle, or bitten at one end, and the hook and thread waxed to insure the hook's not coming off, which, when a fine fish has it in his mouth, is a heart-rending casualty. Take a few turns with thread on the shank of the bare hook, nearly to the head, then applying to gut, whip it firmly on by working back to the bend; under the last turns at the bend insert whisks for the tail, dubbing, floss or herl for the body, and tinsel if desired. The floss, silk, and dubbings are generally spun or twisted in with the thread, and then wound back toward the shoulder, but they may be wound on before, with or after the thread. Care must be taken that the turns at the bend be firm, and when the material is carried back the body is finished with a couple of turns of the silk, a hackle is then introduced and firmly secured by the smaller end. Wind the hackle around the hook at the place where it is inserted, and when it is sufficiently thick, and the fibres which constitute the legs stand out well, tie it down. Prepare your wings by stripping off the requisite number of fibres from two feathers that are mates so as to have the two wings alike, tie them on and finish off. Securely fasten the thread with half hitches, or by passing the end under several turns, and varnish with a little copal varnish. To make a buzz-fly, that is, one with the hackles the whole length of the body instead of only at the shoulder, insert a hackle at the bend at the same time with the body and tail, and twist it around the body after that is put on, and fasten it at the shoulder. The wings are sometimes laid on pointing up the shank, and afterward bent down and secured in their places. If this is done the head need not be varnished.

To make a salmon-fly, the following additional directions, most of which apply equally to carefully made trout flies, will be found convenient. Tie on the gut as before directed ; upon reaching the bend fasten the spring pliers on to the thread, and do not take them off till the fly is finished. Take two turns with the silk over a strip of tinsel, pass the latter several times around the hook to form the tag, fasten it with the silk and cut it off; introduce the floss for the tip, take several turns evenly, tie it down and cut off the end; introduce the tail, and then a piece of herl, wind the herl at the root of the tail and fasten it; take in a new piece of tinsel and a hackle by rubbing back all the fibres but a few at the point, leave both pointing from the head; take a small piece of mohair between your fingers, break it over and over again into small pieces, lengthen it out and twist it round the silk toward the left, as otherwise it will unlay in winding; wind the silk and mohair together round the shank to the shoulder; leave a space of bare hook at the head sufficient for the wings. Wind in loose coils first the tinsel and then the hackle, and fasten both at the shoulder. Strip two wings from feathers that have been taken from the opposite sides of the bird, place them together, hold them firmly on the hook with the left forefinger and thumb, and fasten them securely ; cut off the ends, insert - a piece of herl, wind it over the head and tie it down. Lay the end of the silk back down the shank, and take three turns with the other part over silk, hook and gut; pass the gut end through the loop three times and draw the silk tight.

Two turns of silk should hold the different parts during the entire operation, and a couple of half hitches under the wings at the shoulders are sometimes used to fasten off, and the feathers should be mated to make neat wings ; and if they are laid right side out they will close round the hook; if otherwise, they will stand out. Do not fail to varnish at the head with wood varnish, or some other kind that will dry rapidly. The hackle may be introduced at the shoulder. When herl or floss is used for the body, it is wound on separately from the tying silk, which is sometimes passed in open coils afterward. A second hackle of a different color, or a feather wound like a hackle, may be introduced after the first, or after the wings and before the head is finished, and is called the legs. The wings must be tied above the dubbing on the bare hook, or they will be liable to turn, especially where floss silk is used on the body. The following is a list of Canadian salmon flies:

No. 1, Louise. - An extremely beautiful fly, having wings composed of the golden pheasant's top-knot, breast feather and tail, with sprigs from the green parrot, blue macaw, and kingfisher ; the body is fiery brown mohair, with gold twist ; the head of orange mohair; the tail a single feather from the golden pheasant's top-knot ; reddish brown hackle and jay legs.

No. 2, Edwin. - A much simpler fly, and often equally efficcaious among the fins, the wings being composed of the golden pheasant's tail feather, with a dash of yellow macaw; the body yellow mohair; ribs of black silk; head black mohair; tail, golden pheasant's top-knot; hackle yellow and scarlet silk tip.

No. 3, Forsyth. - Wings of the yellow macaw, with a slight dash of mallard wings at each side ; yellow mohair body, with black ribs; head black ; tail, golden pheasant's top-knot; hackle, yellow, with light blue silk tip.

No. 4, Stephens. - Wings of golden pheasant's breast feather, with slight mixture of mallard; body of reddish brick-colored silk, gold twist; head, black ostrich ; tail, golden pheasant's top-knot; hackle, red, to match the body ; tip blue silk.

No. 5, Ross. - Wings of mallard and peacock's herl; body, cinnamon-colored silk, gold twist; no head; tail, green parrot; red and black hackles and black tip.