Men in Black

I need another hobby like an MP needs another scandal, but it would seem that I have one any way. As you know by now, I do enjoy a little fly fishing and because of our lifestyle, getting "flies" has been a challenge at times and so, out of frustration, my new interest was born. I have equipped myself with a basic fly tying kit, in order that the next time we are in the back and beyond and I lose my favourite fly, I can replace it without an expensive and time consuming expedition. My knowledge of fly tying is even less than that of fly fishing but I have given it a little go and here are the first two that I tied. It would seem that it is customary to name flies and so I called these "Men in black" because they are dangerous things, rather like the men in black that profess to run the country in our best interests. These are very basic and I have some doubt as to their effectiveness, but, at some time in the future, I will give them a try. Having got a bit of a taste for it, I then tried something a little more elaborate. This fly is tied using Guinea fowl feathers that have been dyed in various colours, to make them more attractive. It would be fair to say that this was a bit of a fiddle, but perseverance paid off in the end and I produced this somewhat attractive little thing that looks quite harmless. In reality, it will probably be of less use than an audit into MP's expenses claims, but at least it looks good. The name, "Election manifesto" comes from the fact that it looks OK, has a very nasty hidden bit, is intended to deceive and probably won't work anyway. This new pass time has already given me a good deal of pleasure as well as topping up my fly box, and who knows, I may even end up filling a cabinet.