Col.
Robert Venables, 1662: “First, I begin to set on my hook (placing the hair on
the inside of its shank, with such coloured silk as I conceive most proper for
the flie, beginning at the end of the hook, and when I come to that place which
I conceive most proportionable for the wings, then I place such coloured
feathers there, as I apprehend most resemble the wings of the flie, and set the
points of the wings toward the head, or else I run the feathers (and those must
be stripped from the quill or pen, with part of it still cleaving to the
feathers) round the hook, and so make them fast, if I turn the feathers round
the hook, then I clip away those that are upon the back of the hook, that so
(if it be possible) the point of the hook may be forced by the feathers (left
on the inside of the hook) to swim upwards; . . . ”
It sounds so cruel, doesn't it?
ReplyDeleteOk. This is very odd. I had to read it through several times. Because it reads like torture somehow. But it's just fly fishing preparation.
ReplyDeleteJust tying a fly...
DeleteProbably because I'm in horror mode, but reading this yesterday, it sounded ... like horror. The bigger horror, though, was that this was only PART of an 1100+-word sentence. Ah, those 17th-century writers...
ReplyDeleteI think having to read much of this would be torturous indeed. I might impale myself on a hook after that 1100 word sentence.
ReplyDeleteHa, I agree with Sabine.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteOh Col. Bob just gets in too deep and then cannot find his way back to the beginning in any simple kind of way.
ReplyDelete