Study to be quiet.

The much used, but little practised, quote from Izaak Walton's book, The Compleat Angler, first published in 1651. I have an 1897 reprint of the 5th edition, the last edition to be edited by the author.

This stained glass window is just above Walton's tomb.

It would seem to me from daily observation that most people dislike intently, maybe even hate silence  or quietness, they need some kind of constant noise to fill the emptiness of their souls.

Here in South Africa there are dozens of FM radio station in all the 11 official languages, all of them spouting non-stop drivel, 24/7/365. Go where you want you will hear at least one of them. Here in KZN it's East Coast Radio in English, 'nKhosi FM in isiZulu and there are others.

People working at their computer are connected to their favourite station via the internet, car radios blast them, the home without several radios and more than one TV is rare, most of them switched on, often to different stations, plus a CD player going somewhere. The moment people wake up they switch their radios and TV's on and they stay on until they go to sleep.

If you visit people you actually visit their TV set, heaven forbid that they miss one moment of some program. With satellite TV you now have 100's of programs to chose from, I'm of the opinion that most people would rather go without food than not pay the monthly rental for satellite connection, in SA only the really destitute don't have have satellite connection. Characters in TV soaps are discussed as if they were real and if you don't know who is being discussed you are looked at as if you come from another planet.

Watch CNN or Sky News 24/7 so that you can be up to date with what's happening in the world. Why anyone would want to watch the Syrians killing each other and destroying Damascus and their country is beyond me, none of us can do a thing about it except pray for the suffering thousands. America has been in debt since WW 2, so if the almighty $ is about to crash what can I do about it or anyone for that matter, but TV will rub your nose in it and the talking heads on CNN will discuss it endlessly.

Another source of "un-quietness" is the so called social media, which is anything but social, twitter, face book, (even blogging) texting, etc., etc. Where ever you go, almost every one has their cell phones in their hands, "communicating" (what is misnomer). Even while they are talking to you their fingers are busy.

I got rid of my TV twelve years ago, my radio hasn't worked for years, my car radio doesn't work and I haven't missed the noise one bit. I love to listen to classical music and I have 100's of classical CD's but unless I'm sitting and actually listening to the music I don't put one on.

I love silence, you can think, you  can dream, and listen for that tiny voice inside you. No better sound than the sound of silence.

This rose, which I photographed yesterday in the back garden, reminds me somehow of quietness.

I end with the title of a six part sermon by George Webb;

"The practise of quietness, or a direction how to live quietly at all times, in all places, upon all occasions, how to avoid or put off occasions of un-quietness."

I would have liked to have heard those.

Fly tying.

The pleasures and challenges of fly tying 2.

The first thing you need to start tying flies is a fly tying vice. For centuries though, fly tiers used to hold the hook between the thumb and index finger of the left hand, for right handed tiers, and thumb and index finger of the right hand for left handers.  Just try doing it ,I have, all I can say is impossible, yet past fly tiers thought nothing of it. Below is an illustration of tying a fly by holding between the thumb and index finger.

Colour plate from "Rod Fishing in Clear Waters." (London 1860) This book gives detailed description of how to tie a fly while holding the hook between your thumb and forefinger.


Charles Cottons decription of tying a fly by hand is give in his contribution to Izaak Waltons The Compleat Angler, "Being Directions how to Angle for Trout and Grayling in a Clear Stream" Written in 1674, and published with Walton's revised The Compleat Angler 5th edition, in 1676. p308.

Pisc. This will not be long in doing: and pray observe then. You see how first I hold my hook, and thus I begin. Look you, here are my first two or three whips about the bare hook: thus I join the hook and the line; thus I put on my wings; thus I twirl and lap on my dubbing; thus I work it up to the head; thus I part my wings; thus I nip my superflous dubbing from my silk: thus fasten; thus trim and adjust my fly; and there's my fly made; and now how do you like it?  

Cotton certainly made it seem easy.

James Ogden , writing in 1879, comments that in the 1850’s tying vice were scarce but by 1879 were becoming quite common. The illustration below is of James Ogden’s improved fly vice.

Frederic M Halford in his book “Floating Flies and How to Dress Them,” published in 1886, recommended the use of a fly tying vice. I haven’t been able to find an illustration of the Halford tying vice.

The vice I use now is the first one I bought about six years ago, cheap, very cheap, but it works. The vice holds up to size 20 hooks with ease, and for large sizes up to about a size 6. Comes in a neat wooden case and is very portable.

Pages in the background are from Izaak Walton's "The Compleat Angler" 5th, edition, 1676, reprinted 1897.

The vice below is the vice I use for tying large flies.  It looks impressive but not a very good vice.

(Cat the cat can be seen sitting under the table)


The vice below is more of an ornament, paperweight on some executives desk to remind him what his missing by chasing filthy lucre!

It has a minute whip finishers, scisors, bobbin and hair stacker. The hair stacker is actually very useful.

My dream vice is the J Vice, handmade in South Africa. www.jvice.com. As you can see, impressive, and as prices go for a work of art, not bad. Click on the link, really worth a look. Hope Santa Claus reads this post.

Sources:


Ogden's improved fly tying vice; Wikipedia


Colour plate on hand tying flies: Wikipedia


Jvivce; www.jvice.com