Classic Salmon Fly Patterns: Over 1700 Patterns from the Golden Age of Tying

CLASSIC

Salmon Fly Patterns

Michael D. Radencich

STACKPOLE

BOOKS

Copyright © 2012 by Michael D. Radencich

Published by

STACKPOLE BOOKS

5067 Ritter Road

Mechanicsburg, PA 17055

www.stackpolebooks.com

All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. All inquiries should be addressed to Stackpole Books, 5067 Ritter Road, Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania 17055.

First edition

Cataloging in Publication data from the print edition

Radencich, Michael.

Classic salmon fly patterns / Michael D. Radencich. — 1st ed.

p. cm.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 978-0-8117-0852-4 (hardocver) — ISBN 0-8117-0852-7 (hardcover)

1. Fly tying. 2. Flies, Artificial. 3. Salmon fishing. I. Title.

SH451.R233 2012

688.7’9124—dc23

2011050935

ePub ISBN: 978-0-8117-4859-9

QED stands for Quality, Excellence and Design. The QED seal of approval shown here verifies that this eBook has passed a rigorous quality assurance process and will render well in most eBook reading platforms.

For more information please click here.

To my mother Keda and my brother John

Contents

Acknowledgments

Introduction

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

I

J

K

L

M

N

O

P, Q

R

S

T

U, V

W

X, Y, Z

Modern Fly Patterns

Appendix I

Appendix II

Appendix III

Appendix IV

Acknowledgments

Many people contributed to this project, most of whom have flies pictured throughout this book. These world-class tiers took the time to produce so many beautiful works of art based on patterns listed here, and their patterns turned what might have been a dull reference work into something far more meaningful. It is a tribute to these 86 fly tiers from around the globe that their work will be admired and appreciated for a long time to come and I cannot thank them enough for their hard work, dedication, and passion for fly tying.

I wish to thank Rocky Hammond, Glenn Wilson, and John McLain for working hard to supply me with the names of the tiers I invited to contribute to this book.

My thanks also go out to Paul Rossman and especially to Dennis Lund, both of whom were willing to send me books from their own libraries, allowing me to scan their title pages for the appendix of cross references by author. Plus I wish to thank my friend Stack Scoville for his help on putting together the hook information in appendix IV.

Finally, and most importantly, I wish to give my heartfelt and humble thanks to my friend and mentor at Stackpole, Judith Schnell, for her continued belief that my work is meaningful enough to be published.

Introduction

One of the things I discovered during my twenty-year journey through the world of the classic Atlantic salmon fly is the huge number of patterns found in the books on salmon fishing. This body of work extends back beyond 1800. The discipline of tying the salmon fly is as fresh now as ever, and in the past twenty years there has been a renaissance of interest in this high form of fly tying. This modern age of salmon fly tying started with the publication of Poul Jorgensen’s seminal work, Salmon Flies: Their Character, Style, and Dressing , released in 1978 by Stack-pole Books. It was this book that got me started back in 1989.

After spending a weekend with the great salmon fly tier Ron Alcott in March of 1990, I fell under the spell of these flies and began collecting materials and, especially, classic literature on the subject. Reading authors like Francis Francis, George Kelson, and J. H. Hale opened the bright, exciting, colorful, textural world of the classic salmon fly, and it’s never lost its grip. As my personal book collection grew, I studied the fly recipes I found in these books. They were like hidden, buried treasures waiting to be opened and experienced. Over the years I compiled over 1,500 salmon fly recipes, the majority of which I never actually tied or explored as most were relatively simple patterns. Doing more research, I have been able to expand that count to the 1,738 fly recipes presented in this book—possibly the greatest number of classic salmon flies compiled in a single work.

The book you are now reading could not have come about without the approval of my friend and mentor Judith Schnell at Stackpole Books. She recognized the importance of this collection of salmon fly patterns and encouraged me to put together a reference work containing this body of knowledge from the classic salmon fishing literature. We both agreed that to make this work relevant and interesting to the casual and professional fly tier alike it would be important to feature photographs of selected patterns from fly tiers around the world. So with the help of Rockwell Hammond and Glenn Wilson in the Seattle, Washington, area and John McLain in Michigan I was able to assemble a list of world-class salmon fly tiers and enlist them to tie many of the patterns. These dedicated tiers have cooperated to bring you the finest examples of today’s classic salmon flies. You will see nearly a thousand images of flies from 86 fly tiers representing 17 countries on four continents around the world.

These flies were originally created for one purpose alone and that was to catch fish—specifically Atlantic salmon. It wasn’t until the middle of the nineteenth century that the gaudy flies like the Jock Scott and the Popham became the patterns of choice among salmon fishermen of Ireland, Scotland, Britain, and the European continent.

One thing these far-flung fly tiers discovered is that many of the simple patterns in this book turned out to be, once tied, truly colorful gems in their own right. It’s easy to be caught up with the gaudy Victorian salmon flies of George Kelson and John Traherne without giving the simpler patterns their due. I learned in design school that simple is best and I certainly think this mantra applies to many of the patterns you’ll explore in this book. That doesn’t mean, of course, that we should discredit the more complex recipes—nothing could be further from the truth! I simply mean that all the patterns, simple or gaudy, are worth studying.

Some thirty-three books from the classic literature are the sources for these patterns (with the exception of those found in the final chapter on modern fly patterns). These books span nearly a century and a half of world history from 1800 to 1941.

There was no real standard for describing these flies until the mid-1800s, when a formal pattern structure slowly materialized. The patterns were sequential: tip, tag, tail, butt, body, hackle, throat, wings, sides, and head. There were many variations on this theme, but it was George Kelson, in his 1895 work The Salmon Fly, who popularized the system we are familiar with today. Many of the very early works used a more convoluted way of presenting fly patterns that can seem confusing to the modern fly tier. Here is a typical, unedited description from William Blacker’s 1855 book The Art of Angling:

No. 4, A celebrated Claret Fly... The wings are composed of two wood-duck feathers wanting the white tips; the head is made of peacock harl [sic]; the tail is two or three strips of hen pheasant tail, with a short tuft of red orange macaw body feather or parrot, tipped with silver, and gold ribbing over the body, which is formed of claret pig hair, over which roll two richly dyed claret hackles, struck in fine proportion from the tail up.

It would take a bit of thinking and a lot of fly-tying knowledge and experience to understand what Blacker was getting at with this description. What I try do is translate this type of description into our modern way of listing fly recipes so that the above description becomes:

BLACKER NO. 4—A CELEBRATED CLARET FLY

William Blacker, The Art of Fly Making, 1855

Tag: Silver tinsel

Tail: Two or three hen pheasant strips and a short tuft of red-orange macaw body feather or parrot

Body: Claret pig’s wool

Ribs: Flat gold tinsel

Hackle: Two claret from tail

Main wing: Two unbarred wood duck feathers as the main wing with strips of barred summer duck on each side

Head: Peacock herl

I follow this standard listing of materials in all the recipes throughout the book.

In many of the earlier pattern listings the author calls for a tip of tinsel and a tag of silk or other material. I combine these two elements into the tag for consistency throughout the book. In some instances the pattern listings call for an underwing and then a wing over that. I do make this distinction in some of the patterns, but you’ll find that many of Kelson’s listings in his book don’t separate the two as underwing and wing although it is often implied, in the pattern, that an underwing is appropriate. Here is an example of a wing description from Kelson’s listing of the Jock Scott:

Wings—Two strips of black turkey with white tips, Golden Pheasant tail, Bustard, grey Mallard, Peacock (sword feather) Swan dyed blue and yellow, red Macaw, Mallard and a topping.

The first part of the wing description, Two strips of black turkey with white tips, is often assumed to be the underwing for the fly, which is tied on first, with the balance of the wing in the description being attached over, and mostly covering, the turkey underwing.

In many of the pattern listings I also simplify certain descriptive elements by changing the above mentioned two strips of black turkey with white tips to white-tipped turkey tail. Plus I follow a few other listing conventions.

1. When a listing calls for, say, silver tinsel this always means flat silver tinsel. If a different type of tinsel is to be used, such as oval tinsel, twist, or lace, I specify as such in the listing. Twist, which is a common descriptor for tinsel, is a rounded version of the more commonly used oval tinsel. Generally speaking I think it acceptable and appropriate to use oval tinsel as a replacement for twist.

2. Many of the patterns call for pig’s wool dyed a particular color as a body element. Seal’s fur or a seal’s fur substitute can be used instead.

3. Many of the exotic feathers called for, such as Indian crow or chatterer, can be substituted with feathers dyed to resemble them. Blue kingfisher is a common substitute for chatterer, although it can nowadays be considered an exotic feather and is becoming harder to obtain. Any small white feather dyed blue will work as a viable substitute for chatterer and kingfisher.

4. In the eagle patterns, eagle body feathers are called for but must be substituted with dyed marabou. Eagle is illegal to possess in the United States unless you are a certified Native American and can prove your tribe’s affiliation. If you are not qualified to possess eagle feathers, you can be fined $25,000 and possibly serve jail time if caught. You will find that dyed marabou is a beautiful—and convincing—substitute for eagle.

5. Heron is often used in many of the Spey flies and other patterns listed in the book. A very good and readily available substitute for heron is blue-eared or brown-eared pheasant, dyed black if black heron is called for, or it can be left natural for gray heron. Heron is a protected bird in the United States, and anyone wishing to possess it must have a license to do so.

You can find more information about salmon fly anatomy in Appendix I.

The last chapter of the book, titled Modern Fly Patterns, showcases the original designs of many of the fly tiers presented in this book. The salmon fly is an ever-evolving artform not bound by the past but inspired by it. I hope you enjoy the offerings in this chapter and are impressed by the creativity of the originators, who acknowledge that their creative roots stem from the classic Atlantic salmon fly.

The book comes with a companion video DVD where I demonstrate from start to finish the steps used in tying a full-feather-wing salmon fly, the Durham Ranger. Click the Tag, Tail, Butt selection on the menu to play the video all the way through. You can stop the video at any time to return to the menu where you can then click on any section to restart from that point. All the sections have chapter stops so you can skip ahead to see specific techniques within each section.

DVD menu selections and their chapter stops

Tag

Beginning the fly

Wrapping the tag

Selecting and tying in the tail

The tail veiling

The ostrich herl butt

Body Elements

Folding a hackle

Tying in the hackle and tinsels

Wrapping the silk body section

Dubbing

The dubbing loop method

The dubbing noodle method

Picking out the dubbing

Wrapping the tinsels

Wrapping the hackle

Throat

Tying the throat

Wings

Tying the underwing

The inner wings

The outer wings

Tying in the cheeks

Selecting and attaching the topping

Tying in the horns

Finish

Trimming the head and finish

A

Top: Avon Eagle dressed by Rich Youngers, recipe on page 5; Upper left: Assassin dressed by Anthony Smith, recipe on page 5; Upper right: Argus dressed by Michael D. Radencich, recipe on page 4; Center: Autumn Gold dressed by Jeff Dickey, recipe on page 5; Bottom: Anderson dressed by Ryan Houston, recipe on page 4

This chapter features two versions of the well-known pattern called the Akroyd, one by George Kelson and the other by T. E. Pryce-Tannatt, both of whom are among the best known of the late nineteenth- (Kelson) and early twentieth-(Pryce-Tannatt) century authors who featured so many of the most familiar classic salmon fly patterns extant. Another interesting fly pattern of note is Major A. T. Fisher’s Anonyma, which features an unusual feather for the cheeks. And don’t forget to tie one of the very few modern patterns in this book—Alex Simpson’s Apollo 11, a tribute to the first manned lunar landing in 1969.

ABERDEENSHIRE DEE GLED WING

dressed by Mike Boyer

Hook: Ron Reinhold, size 4/0

Francis Francis, A Book on Angling, fourth edition, 1876

Tag: Silver tinsel

Tail: Golden pheasant saddle

Body: ¹/3 orange-yellow and ²/3 claret mohair

Ribs: Flat silver tinsel

Hackle: Black heron from yellow mohair

Throat: Teal

Wing: Two strips of red dun turkey

Note: The red dun turkey is a substitute for the swallow-tail gled kite called for in the original pattern.

ABERDEENSHIRE DEE TARTAN

dressed by Marvin Nolte

Hook: Partridge HE2, size 1/0

Francis Francis, A Book on Angling, fourth edition, 1876

Tag: Gold tinsel

Tail: Golden pheasant rump

Body: Half orange and half scarlet mohair

Ribs: Flat gold tinsel

Hackle: Sandy red hackle with one side stripped; over this a large blue-grey heron hackle

Throat: Teal

Main wing: Two strips of silver-grey mottled turkey

ABINGER

dressed by Alex Hayes

Hook: size 2/0

George Kelson, The Salmon Fly, 1895; and J. H. Hale, How to Tie Salmon Flies, third edition, 1930

Tag: Silver twist and yellow silk

Tail: A topping and teal

Body: Equal sections of yellow, light claret, blue, and black seal’s fur

Ribs: Oval silver tinsel

Hackle: Natural black from claret fur

Throat: Jay

Main wing: Tippet and gallina in strands, teal, mallard, and a topping

Horns: Amherst pheasant

ADJUTANT

dressed by Ronn Lucas Sr.

Hook: Ronn Lucas Harrison & Bartleet bronze, size 3/0

John Veniard, in part II of the 1977 edition of How to Dress Salmon Flies by T. E. Pryce-Tannatt

Tag: Oval silver tinsel and golden silk

Tail: A topping

Butt: Black ostrich herl

Body: Black silk

Ribs: Flat silver tinsel and silver lace

Hackle: Black

Throat: Orange

Underwing: Tippets

Main wing: Peacock wing, yellow, orange, and red swan with mallard above and a topping

Sides: Teal and jungle cock over

Cheeks: Kingfisher

AGLAIA

dressed by Fabrizio Gajardoni

Hook: Antique Limerick, size 4/0

Edward Fitzgibbon (Ephemera), The Book of the Salmon, 1850

Tag: Gold tinsel

Tail: A topping and wood duck

Butt: Black ostrich herl

Body: Silver tinsel

Ribs: Gold twist

Hackle: Black, thin, and short

Throat: Teal

Main wing: Two toppings, bustard, cream-colored turkey, and wood duck

Head: Black ostrich herl

AJAX

Patterns for the River Usk, The Fishing Gazette, August 31, 1895

Tag: Silver twist and red silk

First hackle: A small coch-y-bondhu and a very small jungle cock point on either side of hook

Body: Alternate coils of yellow and black chenille

Second or central hackle: A larger coch-y-bondhu and jungle cock as before

Third or head hackle: A full-sized coch-y-bondhu hackle and a couple of turns of gallina dyed red with the jungle cock as before

AJAX

Herbert Maxwell, Salmon and Sea Trout, 1898

Tag: Silver tinsel and scarlet pig’s wool

Butt: Coch-y-bondhu hackle (red cock’s hackle with black butt) and a couple of tiny scale-like jungle cock, one on each side

Body: Fine sulfur-colored and black chenille tied in side-by-side to give a wasp-like effect followed by hackle and jungle cock halfway up the body, then two chenilles, and a third larger hackle and jungle cock at the shoulder

Head: Small and varnished

AKROYD

dressed by Paul Rossman

Hook: Antique, size 3/0 long shank

George Kelson, The Salmon Fly, 1895; and J. H. Hale, How to Tie Salmon Flies, third edition, 1930

Tag: Gold twist

Tail: A topping and tippet in strands

Body: Yellow seal’s fur followed by black seal’s fur in equal sections

Ribs: Gold tinsel

Hackle: Yellow over yellow fur and black on black fur

Throat: Black heron

Main wing: Two strips of cinnamon turkey with light tips

Sides: Jungle cock (short and drooping)

AKROYD

dressed by Bud Guidry (3/4 view from above)

Hook: Ronn Lucas Noble DS, size 3/0

T. E. Pryce-Tannatt, How to Dress Salmon Flies, 1914

Tag: Oval silver tinsel

Tail: A topping and tippet in strands

Body: Light orange seal’s fur and black silk in equal sections

Ribs: Oval silver tinsel over the seal’s fur and flat silver tinsel and silver lace over the black silk

Hackle: Lemon over the seal’s fur and heron over the black silk

Throat: Teal

Main wing: A pair of cinnamon turkey tail strips set flat

Sides: Jungle cock drooping

Note: The White-Wing variant uses white turkey tail strips for wings.

ALEXANDRA

dressed by John Olschewsky

Hook: B&R Emerald Isle, size 5/0

T. E. Pryce-Tannatt, How to Dress Salmon Flies, 1914

Tail: Scarlet ibis

Body: Flat silver tinsel

Throat: Black or badger hackle

Main wing: Peacock sword feathers in strips

Cheeks: Jungle cock

ALLAN’S FANCY

dressed by Rockwell Hammond Jr.

Hook: Sunday, size 5/0

J. H. Hale, How to Tie Salmon Flies, third edition, 1930

Tag: Gold tinsel and yellow silk

Tail: A topping

Body: Three turns of dark yellow silk followed by magenta silk

Ribs: Gold tinsel

Hackle: Red over magenta silk

Throat: Jay

Main wing: Tippets in strands, light mottled turkey, golden pheasant tail, mallard above, and a topping over all

ALLAN’S FANCY

dressed by James Daly

Hook: size 2/0

George Kelson, The Salmon Fly, 1895

Tag: Gold twist and yellow silk

Tail: A topping

Body: Three turns of dark yellow silk followed by magenta silk (short)

Ribs: Oval gold tinsel (double)

Hackle: Natural red over magenta silk

Throat: Jay

Main wing: Tippet in strands, light mottled turkey, golden pheasant tail, mallard above, and a topping

Head: Black ostrich herl

AMETHYST

dressed by Dave Kline

Hook: Matt Inman, size 5/0 long shank

J. H. Hale, How to Tie Salmon Flies, 1930

Tail: A topping

Body: Equal sections of orange, magenta, green, and blue silk

Ribs: Gold tinsel

Hackle: Black

Main wing: Dark mottled turkey

AMETHYST R.B.M. Series of Gem Salmon Flies

dressed by John Kilmer

Hook: Ronn Lucas Harrison Bartleet, size 3/0

J. H. Hale, How to Tie Salmon Flies, 1930

Tag: Gold tinsel

Tail: A topping

Butt: Black ostrich herl

Body: Amethyst-colored metallic celluloid

Ribs: Oval silver tinsel

Hackle: Amethyst

Throat: Black

Main wing: White-tipped turkey tail; bustard, golden pheasant tail, green, red, and yellow swan, mallard above, and a topping over all

Horns: Blue and yellow macaw

ANDERSON

dressed by Ryan Houston

Hook: size 4/0

J. H. Hale, How to Tie Salmon Flies, third edition, 1930

Tag: Silver tinsel

Tail: A topping

Butt: Black herl

Body: Salmon-colored silk

Ribs: Silver tinsel

Hackle: Light orange

Throat: Medium blue

Main wing: Tippets in strands; bustard, green swan, dark turkey, mallard above

Horns: Blue macaw

ANONYMA

Major A. T. Fisher, Rod and River, 1892

Tag: Silver twist and lemon silk

Tail: A topping and Indian crow

Butt: Red ostrich

Body: Flat silver tinsel

Ribs: Gold twist

Throat: Yellow or orange with dark red over

Main wing: Tippet and saddle feathers back to back veiled with golden pheasant tail, mallard, peacock wing, grey mallard, swan dyed yellow and red, and a topping over all

Cheeks: Unspotted enameled cinnamon feather from a jungle cock cape

Horns: Red macaw

Head: Black ostrich herl

Note: You can find the type of jungle cock feather called for in this pattern along the rear of most capes.

APOLLO 11

Created by Alex Simpson

Tag: Silver tinsel and yellow silk

Tail: A topping and Indian crow

Butt: Black ostrich herl

Body: First half yellow silk ribbed with fine oval silver tinsel, veiled above and below with Indian crow and butted with black ostrich herl; second half flat silver tinsel ribbed with fine oval silver tinsel

Ribs: See body

Hackle: Bright yellow over silver tinsel body section

Throat: Purple vulturine guinea fowl

Main wing: Two strips of yellow swan covered by two yellow hackles, in turn covered by two golden pheasant swords outside of which are two vulturine hackles (colored black, blue, and white) with their points cut off half the length of the wing, with a topping over all

Sides: Yellow toucan with red points

Cheeks: Jungle cock

Head: Black

ARGUS

dressed by Michael D. Radencich

Hook: Ronn Lucas Harrison & Bartleet bronzed, size 3/0

Herbert Maxwell, Fishing at Home and Abroad, 1913

Tag: Silver tinsel

Tail: Mottled argus

Butt: Scarlet chenille

Body: Black silk

Ribs: Oval silver tinsel

Hackle: Black

Throat: Gallina

Underwing: Grey turkey

Main wing: Mottled buff and black argus with a turn of fluffy white argus tied in hackle-wise over the wing

ARTFUL DODGER

dressed by Andy Boekholt

Hook: Ronn Lucas Phillip Jones, size 5/0

Frederick Tolfrey, Jones’s Guide to Norway, 1848

Tag: Silver twist and orange silk

Tail: A topping

Butt: Black ostrich herl

Body: Green silk with green pig’s wool under the shoulder

Ribs: Silver tinsel and gold twist

Hackle: Black

Throat: Blue

Main wing: Two tippets back to back veiled with bustard and golden pheasant tail with two toppings over all

Horns: Blue macaw

Head: Black

Note: The accompanying engraving in Tolfrey’s book shows what appears to be a black wool head.

ASSASSIN

dressed by Anthony Smith

Hook: Byron Bjerke Sunday Madden Celebrated, size 4/0

An Irish pattern, no reference available

Tag: Silver tinsel and yellow silk

Tail: A topping, tippet, and kingfisher

Body: Red or scarlet seal’s fur

Ribs: Oval silver tinsel

Hackle: Red

Throat: Yellow

Main wing: Tippets back to back veiled with red, yellow, and blue swan and teal with mallard above and a topping over all

Sides: Jungle cock

ASSASSIN

dressed by Gordon (Gordeaux) Chesney

Hook: size 4/0

Frederick Tolfrey, Jones’s Guide to Norway, 1848

Tag: Gold twist, blue and scarlet silk

Tail: A topping, guinea hen, and blue macaw

Butt: Black ostrich herl

Body: Dark blue and claret pig’s wool in equal sections

Ribs: Gold tinsel

Hackle: Dark claret

Throat: Jay

Main wing: Mixed mallard, teal, bustard, black cockatoo, guinea hen, tippet, and a topping over all

Horns: Blue macaw

Head: Black

Note: The accompanying engraving in Tolfrey’s book shows what appears to be a black wool head.

AUTUMN CREEPER

dressed by Glenn Wilson

Hook: Allcock Kinsey, size 8

George Kelson, The Salmon Fly, 1895; and J. H. Hale, How to Tie Salmon Flies, third edition, 1930

Tag: Gold tinsel and yellow silk

Butt: Red macaw hackle, chatterer cheeks on each side

Body: Black chenille

Center hackle: Yellow macaw, cheeked with chatterer

Head hackle: Vulturine guinea fowl and black heron, cheeked with chatterer

AUTUMN GOLD

dressed by Jeff Dickey

Hook: size 2/0

John Veniard, in part II of the 1977 edition of How to Dress Salmon Flies by T. E. Pryce-Tannatt

Tag: Gold tinsel and golden yellow silk

Tail: A topping and Indian crow

Butt: Black ostrich herl

Body: Flat gold tinsel and fiery brown seal’s fur in equal sections

Ribs: Flat copper Lurex with silver twist

Hackle: Red

Throat: Gallina

Main wing: Orange, blue, green, yellow, and red swan, florican, mallard above with a topping over all

Sides: Teal

AVON EAGLE

dressed by Rich Youngers

Hook: Harrison Bartleet Dee, size 3/0

T. E. Pryce-Tannatt, How to Dress Salmon Flies, 1914

Tag: Silver tinsel

Tail: A topping and tip of golden pheasant breast feather (best side under)

Body: Lemon, bright orange, scarlet, and fiery brown seal’s fur in equal sections, dressed sparse and picked out

Ribs: Broad silver tinsel and silver lace

Hackle: Eagle hackle dyed yellow, one side stripped

Throat: Widgeon

Main wing: Golden pheasant sword feathers back to back

Sides: Jungle cock with two or three toppings over all

Note: Use dyed marabou as a substitute for the eagle hackle.

AWE NO. 1

dressed by Dennis A. Dokken

Hook: Ron Reinhold Harrison Hollow Point, size 3/0

Henry Wade, Halcyon, 1861; and Thomas Tod Stoddart, The Angler’s Companion, 1853

Tag: Orange wool

Tail: Section of turkey feather

Body: Olive mohair

Ribs: Gold twist

Hackle: Black

Throat: Black

Main wing: White-tipped black turkey

AWE NO. 2

Henry Wade, Halcyon, 1861; and Thomas Tod Stoddart, The Angler’s Companion, 1853

Tail: A topping

Body: Blue mohair

Ribs: Silver twist

Hackle: Blue

Throat: Blue

Main wing: Mallard

B

Top: Blue Wasp dressed by Aaron Ostoj, recipe on page 32; Upper left: Blacker No. 1 dressed by Matt Crompton, recipe on page 22; Upper right: Benyon’s Pet dressed by Ben Bilello, recipe on page 12; Lower left: Black Dog dressed by Timo Kontio, recipe on page 17; Lower right: Ballyshannon dressed by Byron Bjerke, recipe on page 9

Two versions of the Baron are featured in this chapter, and this pattern, in general, is a fine representative of the fully dressed, married-wing salmon fly. The primary difference between these two variations is in the wing. It is not at all unusual for there to be more than one version of a particular fly, and most of the more famous patterns have four or more variations. One fly in this chapter, the Butcher, has no less than twelve variations!

As you browse patterns throughout this book, you will find a recurring theme in those of T. E. Pryce-Tannatt—his use of florican bustard in most, if not all, of his married-wing recipes. Also called the Great Bustard, the florican bustard (Otis tarda) has large, boldly striped wing quills that, today, are not easily obtained. This bird is native to many Asian countries and was also once native to the United Kingdom, where it is now extinct.

BADGER

dressed by Glenn Wilson

Hook: Pryce-Tannatt bronze, size 3/0, 1¹/2 c

George Kelson, The Salmon Fly, 1895; and J. H. Hale, How to Tie Salmon Flies, third edition, 1930

Tag: Silver twist

Tail: A topping and tippet strands

Body: Crimson seal’s fur

Ribs: Oval silver tinsel

Throat: Silver furnace

Main wing: Two strips of light mottled turkey

BAINBRIDGE NO. 1

dressed by Jeff Dickey

Hook: size 2/0

George Cole Bainbridge, The Fly Fisher’s Guide, 1816, and other editions

Body: Orange camlet mixed with a little mohair

Ribs: Fine oval gold tinsel (optional)

Hackle: Dusky red or bright brown

Main wing: Dark brown or black mottled turkey

Note: Camlet is a rich cloth originally from Asia that was thought to have been composed of camel’s hair or goat’s hair and silk along with other combinations.

BAINBRIDGE NO. 2 THE QUAKER FLY

dressed by Mike Boyer

Hook: Kendall Kirby bronze (modified by Mike Boyer), size 1/0

George Cole Bainbridge, The Fly Fisher’s Guide, 1816, and other editions

Body: Lemon mohair mixed with a small amount of light brown fur or camlet

Hackle: Pale dusky ginger

Main wing: Copper or dirty yellow feathers from the domestic hen, turkey, or landrail

Note: The engraving in the book shows a tail on this fly, but none is described in the text.

BAINBRIDGE NO. 3

George Cole Bainbridge, The Fly Fisher’s Guide, 1816, and other editions

Tail: Drake feathers

Body: Dark sable

Ribs: Fine oval gold tinsel

Hackle: Dusky red

Main wing: Cormorant or dark mallard

Head: A little bit of silk unraveled and fastened at the extremity of the fly

Note: The engraving in the book shows the wings set upright.

BAINBRIDGE NO. 4

dressed by Rockwell Hammond Jr.

Hook: Gaelic Supreme, size 4/0

George Cole Bainbridge, The Fly Fisher’s Guide, 1816, and other editions

Tail: Peacock herl strips (from the eye of the feather)

Body: White ostrich herl dyed red

Hackle: Bright yellow

Throat: Tie in a portion of the eye of the peacock tail feather to cover about ¹/3 of the body

Underwing: Blood-red hackles extending beyond the main wing

Main wing: Unstripped guinea fowl feathers on either side

BAKER

dressed by T. J. Hall

Hook: size 3/0

Francis Francis, A Book on Angling, fourth edition, 1876

Tag: Gold twist and light blue silk

Tail: A topping

Butt: Black herl

Body: Gold silk, dark orange, light blue, and red pig’s wool in equal sections

Ribs: Broad gold tinsel

Hackle: Medium red claret

Throat: Gallina and light blue

Main wing: Tippets back to back, sprigs of golden pheasant tail, bustard, peacock, red, bright green, blue, and yellow swan

Horns: Blue macaw

BAKER

dressed by Mike Townend

Hook: Old Partridge, size 4/0

George Kelson, The Salmon Fly, 1895; and J. H. Hale, How to Tie Salmon Flies, third edition, 1930

Tag: Gold twist and light blue silk

Tail: A topping and gallina

Butt: Black ostrich herl

Body: Yellow silk, light orange, blue, and dark claret seal’s fur in equal sections

Ribs: Gold tinsel

Hackle: Dark claret from second turn

Throat: Gallina and light blue

Main wing: Two tippets back to back veiled with golden pheasant tail, light bustard, grey mallard, peacock wing, light blue, yellow, and dark claret swan with mallard above

Horns: Blue macaw

BAKER

dressed by Dennis A. Dokken

Hook: Ron Reinhold Jock Scott, size 5/0

Frederick Tolfrey, Jones’s Guide to Norway, 1848

Tag: Gold twist and blue silk

Tail: A topping

Butt: Black ostrich herl

Body: Yellow silk, orange, blue, and red mohair equally

Ribs: Gold tinsel

Hackle: Claret or red

Throat: Gallina

Main wing: Two tippets, mallard, teal, green parrot, bustard, or golden pheasant tail

Horns: Blue macaw

Head: Two turns of blue hackle around the head like a collar

Note: The accompanying engraving in Tolfrey’s book shows what appears to be a black wool head.

BALLATER

John Veniard, in part II of the 1977 edition of How to Dress Salmon Flies by T. E. Pryce-Tannatt

Tag: Silver tinsel and golden silk

Tail: A topping and Indian crow

Butt: Black ostrich herl

Body: Black silk

Ribs: Flat gold tinsel with oval silver and gold tinsels

Hackle: Lemon

Throat: Grey heron

Main wing: Tippets back to back veiled with blue, yellow, and red swan and Amherst pheasant tail with a topping over all

Sides: Jungle cock

BALLYSHANNON

dressed by Byron Bjerke

Hook: B & R Phillips Limerick, size 3

Attributed to Michael Rogan

Tag: Silver tinsel and blue silk

Tail: A topping and Indian crow

Butt: Black ostrich herl

Body: Hot orange silk

Ribs: Broad oval silver tinsel

Hackle: Magenta

Throat: Turquoise blue

Underwing: White-tipped turkey tail

Main wing: Bustard, golden pheasant tail, red, yellow, and blue swan, mallard above, and a topping over all

Sides: Pintail and jungle cock

BALMORAL

The Fishing Gazette, November 16, 1895

Tag: Silver twist

Tail: A topping and pintail

Butt: Black herl

Body: Two-thirds bright green and the rest black mohair

Ribs: Flat silver tinsel and silver cord

Hackle: Black heron from the green fur

Throat: Teal, sparingly

Main wing: Strips of cream-colored turkey extending flat on top of hook at an angle of fifteen degrees outward

Sides: Jungle cock

Head: Varnished

Note: Silver cord might mean silver lace.

BALMORAL

George Kelson, The Salmon Fly, 1895; and J. H. Hale, How to Tie Salmon Flies, third edition, 1930

Tag: Silver twist

Tail: A topping and tippet strands

Butt: Black ostrich herl

Body: Green and dark blue seal’s fur in equal sections

Ribs: Silver lace and silver tinsel

Hackle: Black heron from the green fur

Throat: Widgeon

Main wing: Two strips of plain cinnamon turkey

Sides: Jungle cock (short and drooping)

BANN OLIVE NO. 1

dressed by Lloyd Alan Lutes

Hook: Harrison Bartleet, size 3/0

An Irish pattern, no reference available

Tag: Silver tinsel

Tail: A topping and jungle cock

Butt: Black ostrich herl

Body: Oval gold tinsel

Hackle: Golden olive

Throat: Jay

Main wing: Ibis, golden pheasant tail, mallard above

Horns: Blue and gold macaw

BANN OLIVE NO. 2

dressed by Ronn Lucas Sr.

Hook: Ronn Lucas Phillips-Jones, size 1/0

An Irish pattern, no reference available

Tag: Silver tinsel

Tail: A topping

Butt: Black ostrich herl

Body: Golden olive silk

Hackle: Claret

Throat: Jay

Main wing: Ibis, golden pheasant tail, mallard above

Horns: Blue and gold macaw

BARKWORTH

J. H. Hale, How to Tie Salmon Flies, third edition, 1930

Tag: Gold tinsel and dark claret silk

Tail: A topping, summer duck, and toucan

Butt: Black ostrich herl

Body: In two equal sections; first section straw-colored fur ribbed with oval gold tinsel, veiled with toucan, and butted with black ostrich herl; second section dark orange silk ribbed with gold tinsel and a dark orange hackle

Throat: Guinea fowl dyed blue

Main wing: Two tippets; light mottled turkey dyed dark orange, two strips of blue macaw, straw-colored swan, golden pheasant tail and two toppings over all

Sides: Jungle cock

Cheeks: Chatterer

BARKWORTH

dressed by Paul Rossman

Hook: Antique Millward & Sons, size 3/0 forged

George Kelson, The Salmon Fly, 1895

Tag: Gold twist and dark orange silk

Tail: A topping, summer duck and toucan from undertail

Butt: Black ostrich herl

Body: In two equal sections; first section straw-colored silk ribbed with fine oval gold tinsel, veiled above and below with orange toucan and butted with black ostrich herl; second section dark orange silk ribbed with gold tinsel ribs and a dark orange hackle

Throat: Gallina dyed blue (jay for small hooks)

Main wing: Two tippets back to back, light mottled turkey dyed dark orange, two strips of blue macaw, swan dyed straw-colored, golden pheasant tail, and two toppings over all

Sides: Jungle cock

Cheeks: Chatterer

Head: Black herl

BARON

dressed by Alex Hayes

Hook: size 3/0

George Kelson, The Land and Water weekly journal, second series (of 16), August 21, 1886, in The Land and Water Salmon Flies, The Fly Fisher’s Classic Library, 1993; George Kelson, The Salmon Fly, 1895; and J. H. Hale, How to Tie Salmon Flies, third edition, 1930

Tag: Silver twist and dark red-claret silk

Tail: A topping

Butt: Black herl

Body: In two equal sections; first section flat silver tinsel ribbed with oval silver tinsel and veiled with Indian crow (extending to tag) and butted with black ostrich herl; second section black silk with oval silver tinsel ribs

Hackle: Dark red-claret over black silk

Throat: Jay

Main wing: Tippet in strands, swan dyed yellow, summer duck, blue and red macaw, golden pheasant tail, peacock wing, mallard above, and a topping over all

Sides: Jungle cock

Cheeks: Chatterer

Horns: Blue macaw

Head: Black ostrich herl

Note: Hale does not call for a herl head in his listing.

BARON

dressed by Dale A. Darling

Hook: Addington & Hutchison, size 4/0

T. E. Pryce-Tannatt, How to Dress Salmon Flies, 1914

Tag: Silver tinsel and ruby red silk

Tail: A topping, Indian crow, and chatterer

Butt: Black herl

Body: In two equal sections; first section flat silver tinsel, veiled with Indian crow above and below and butted with black ostrich herl; second section black silk

Ribs: Five turns oval silver tinsel over each section

Hackle: Dark claret over black

Throat: Jay

Underwing: Tippet in strands

Main wing: Scarlet, blue, and yellow swan, florican, bustard, with mallard above and a topping over all

Sides: Married narrow strips of teal and summer duck and jungle cock

Cheeks: Chatterer

Horns: Blue and gold macaw

BARONET

dressed by David Talley

Hook: Ronn Lucas Phillips-Jones, size 6/0

Frederick Tolfrey, Jones’s Guide to Norway, 1848

Tip: Gold twist

Tag: A tuft of red mohair

Body: Claret pig’s wool

Ribs: Gold twist

Hackle: Black and yellow wound together

Main wing: Tippets dyed crimson back to back veiled with mallard, teal, golden pheasant tail, and Argus tail

Horns: Blue macaw

Head: Black

Note: The tuft of red mohair may have also been intended to be a tail. The engraving for this fly in Tolfrey’s book shows what appears to be a black wool head.

BEACONSFIELD

George Kelson, The Land and Water weekly journal, third series (of 21), April 9, 1887, in The Land and Water Salmon Flies, The Fly Fisher’s Classic Library, 1993

Tag: Silver twist and yellow silk

Tail: A topping, teal, and ibis

Butt: Black herl, followed by a half dozen close turns of silver twist

Body: In three equal sections, the first two doubly butted as before; first section yellow silk with a mane of yellow mohair, black herl, and a half dozen turns of silver tinsel; second section dark red-orange silk with a mane of dark red-orange mohair, black herl, and a half dozen turns of silver tinsel; third section claret silk

Throat: Light blue

Main wing: Tippets back to back veiled with golden pheasant tail, silver and brown speckled turkey, bustard, teal and mallard, swan dyed light yellow, very light red-claret, and light blue, and a topping over all

Horns: Blue macaw

Head: Black herl

BEACONSFIELD

George Kelson, The Salmon Fly, 1895; and J. H. Hale, How to Tie Salmon Flies, third edition, 1930

Tag: Silver twist and yellow silk

Tail: A topping, teal, and ibis

Butt: Black ostrich herl, followed by two turns of silver tinsel

Body: In three equal sections, the first two doubly butted; first section yellow silk with a mane of yellow mohair, black herl butt, and two turns of silver tinsel; second section red-orange silk with a mane of red-orange mohair, black herl butt, and two turns of silver tinsel; third section claret silk

Throat: Light blue

Main wing: Two tippets back to back veiled with golden pheasant tail, light and dark mottled turkey, bustard, teal, swan dyed yellow, red, and light blue with mallard above and a topping over all

Horns: Blue macaw

Head: Black ostrich herl

Note: Hale does not call for a herl head in his listing, nor does he specify light blue in the main wing.

BEAUFORT MOTH

dressed by Anthony Smith

Hook: Aaron Ostoj remake William Bartleet, size 1¹/2

J. H. Hale, How to Tie Salmon Flies, third edition, 1930

Tag: Gold tinsel

Tail: A topping

Body: Bronze peacock herl

Ribs: Oval gold tinsel

Throat: Red

Main wing: Two tips of white duck feathers

Head: Peacock herl

BEAULY SNOW FLY

J. H. Hale, How to Tie Salmon Flies, third edition, 1930

Tag: Silver tinsel

Body: Dark blue wool

Ribs: Silver and gold tinsel

Throat: Blue heron

Main wing: Bronze peacock herl

Head: Yellow wool tied as a collar

Note: Although the throat is shown as blue in his listing, Hale may have meant black heron, or possibly American great blue heron.

BEAULY SNOW FLY

dressed by Royce Stearns

Hook: Antique Pryce-Tannatt rational group B, size 1³/4

T. E. Pryce-Tannatt, How to Dress Salmon Flies, 1914

Body: Pale blue seal’s fur (sparse)

Ribs: Broad, flat silver tinsel and gold lace

Hackle: Black heron from third turn of tinsel

Main wing: Peacock herl in strands

Head: Orange seal’s fur

BENCHILL

George Kelson, The Land and Water weekly journal, second series (of 16), August 21, 1886, in The Land and Water Salmon Flies, The Fly Fisher’s Classic Library, 1993

Tag: Silver twist and red-claret silk

Tail: A topping and ibis

Butt: Black ostrich herl

Body: Equal sections of very dark yellow, very light orange, red-claret, and light blue seal’s fur

Ribs: Silver tinsel

Hackle: Light blue over the light blue seal’s fur

Main wing: Tippets back to back veiled with light speckled turkey, yellow and red swan, bustard, golden pheasant tail, teal, and mallard with a topping over all

Horns: Blue macaw

BENCHILL

dressed by Alberto Calzolari

Hook: size 6/0

George Kelson, The Salmon Fly, 1895; and J. H. Hale, How to Tie Salmon Flies, third edition, 1930

Tag: Silver tinsel and red-claret silk

Tail: A topping and ibis

Butt: Black ostrich herl

Body: Equal sections of dark yellow, light orange, red-claret, and light blue seal’s fur

Ribs: Silver tinsel

Hackle: Light blue from red-claret fur

Main wing: Two tippets back to back, extending only to end of dark yellow fur, veiled with light mottled turkey, swan dyed yellow and red, bustard, golden pheasant tail, teal, mallard above, and a topping over all

Horns: Blue macaw

BENCHILL

dressed in hand by Harry Lemire

Hook: Harry Lemire Bartleet, size 3/0

T. E. Pryce-Tannatt, How to Dress Salmon Flies, 1914

Tag: Gold tinsel

Tail: A topping and the tip of a golden pheasant breast feather

Butt: Black ostrich herl

Body: Orange, scarlet, claret, and pale blue seal’s fur

Ribs: Flat silver tinsel and silver lace

Throat: Pale blue

Main wing: A pair of tippets back to back veiled with peacock wing, scarlet and blue swan, golden pheasant tail, and bustard with a topping over all

Cheeks: Speckled gallina wing strips with jungle cock over them

BENYON’S PET

dressed by Ben Bilello

Hook: Allcock 1906M Sproat Bend, size 5/0

J. H. Hale, How to Tie Salmon Flies, third edition, 1930

Tag: Silver tinsel

Tail: Lemon-yellow swan

Body: Light dirty yellow wool

Ribs: Gold tinsel