Before making an artificial fly, it is essential to ascertain and select
the best materials, and the necessary implements for the purpose. In the
Game Fish of North America the author has explained the simplest and
easiest mode of tying a fly, and if there be any person who has not read
that work he should procure it at once. The instructions there contained
must be first mastered before the following are attempted, lest
discouragement should result; and no one that does not desire great
accuracy and finish need waste the time and labor of understanding and
executing the ensuing directions. There are a few persons who wish to
tie a fly handsomely; this chapter is written for them. The fish
probably care little whether the fly is made at Conroy’s establishment,
of the finest materials and from the most approved patterns, or by some
unknown German wholesale dealer, of any chance feathers.
Remember, however, that he who strives not after perfection never
attains mediocrity, and the improvement of himself is one half of the
angler’s pleasure. If we are content with an ungainly fly, we will be
satisfied with inferiority of rod and tackle; and although the fish may
not see the difference, the angler may become, from neglecting one
point, slovenly in all. A well-made fly is a beautiful object, an
ill-made one an eye-sore and annoyance; and it is a great satisfaction
both to exhibit and examine a well-filled book of handsomely tied flies.
Nothing can be thoroughly done unless strict attention is given to
minutiæ. The material must be selected and protected with the greatest
care, the scissors and knife must be sharp, the spring pliers of
suitable strength, and the nails of the workman must be long and his
hands scrupulously clean. Hereafter the table-vice, the use of which was
recommended in the Game Fish of North America, and which will be found
both convenient and for extreme neatness necessary, will be dispensed
with, and the hook held in the hand during the entire operation. This at
first may appear awkward, require more time, and give an inferior
result; but sad would be the case if the loss of a vice were to diminish
a man’s capabilities.
The selection of the hook depends mainly upon the fancy of the
fisherman, and partly upon the locality of its destined use. If fish are
scarce and shy, select one that will insure striking; if they are
abundant, but strong and vigorous, choose one that will hold. In
trout-fishing there are two that bear the palm in striking, the sneck
bent and the Kirby bent Limerick; in holding a fish after he is struck,
my preference is for Warren’s Lake-trout hook, which, however, does not
make a handsome fly; for salmon-fishing, the O’Shaunessey Limerick is
the general favorite. The objection to the straight or hollow-pointed
Limerick, is that it may be drawn over a flat surface without catching,
while the point of the O’Shaunessey, by projecting, catches and
penetrates.
Fish-hooks of the best quality of home manufacture, of all shapes and
sizes, may be obtained at from twenty-five to seventy-five cents a
hundred, and will be found equal if not superior to any English hook at
double the price, or they can be manufactured of any shape desired.
So few persons make their own flies in this country that none of the
tackle-makers sell the materials, and hence the amateur will have to
collect the latter as opportunity offers. Gut, of course, can be
purchased anywhere; but the strongest kind of that suitable for
salmon-fishing is often difficult to obtain, if not entirely out of the
market. In trout-fishing, select fine, round, transparent strands, and
pay from one to two dollars per hank of one hundred strands; for salmon
choose the strongest and roundest, and pay from three to four dollars.
Gut is imported from Spain and Italy, and is made by drawing out a dead
silk-worm till it is of the proper fineness; and none imported from the
East, and no imitation of grass, sinew, or the like, is worth using. The
quality can be determined by its hardness; if it resists the teeth well,
it is good; age weakens and finally decays it.
The best wax, although it is by no means perfect, is made of one part of
resin, one of beeswax, and four of shoemaker’s wax, the two former
melted together and poured into water, and then worked in with the
latter. It should be kept in a small piece of leather. Shoemaker’s wax
itself is the strongest, but is sticky in warm weather and hard in cold.
The best silk is the finest sewing-machine silk, marked with three 0’s
on the spool; but for very small trout-hooks the better plan is to twist
two or three strands of spool floss-silk together and wax them
carefully.
Tinsel of a superior kind is difficult to obtain; the silver should be
both variegated and plain, and the yellow either gold or well covered
with gilt, and both flat and wound over fine silk. A mixture of both
sorts of a poor quality is used to tie linen goods, and can be obtained
at the furnishing stores, but a better article is to be had from the
importers of gold and silver braids. The proper kind of floss-silk comes
in spools, and can be wound off by the single thread over the hand till
a proper thickness is attained, and will work much better than the
common floss skeins. If the latter are used, they must be divided into
several strands and are apt to bunch.
Worsted of all colors can be obtained in the rough, or the yarn may be
picked or used intact; the former is the best plan, and rivals mohair in
appearance.
Mohair may be purchased from the importers of woollens, while it seems
impossible, except by direct importation from the English tackle-shops,
to obtain either pig’s hair or seal’s fur. For salmon-flies the two last
are infinitely preferable, having a gloss that no other material
possesses.
Mohair and camlets are the finest selection of goat’s hair (the former
being carded and the latter combed), and work beautifully. The most
elegant flies are those with silk bodies, but they are rarely so
effective as those of mohair. Many of the wild animals of our woods
furnish a fine fur, such as the grey, red, and black squirrels, martin,
mink, rabbit, and others.
A golden pheasant is indispensable for salmon-flies, and a spoiled skin
can be obtained from the taxidermists at from two to five dollars,
according to their scarcity. Hackles for salmon-flies should be large
and from matured cocks, those for dyeing delicate colors pure white;
while for trout-flies they should be small, either from hens or from
cocks not over two years old, and taken from the upper part of the head.
They must taper well to the point and not have a stiff stem, and should
have the fibre about the length of the hook shank. For wing-flies they
must be smaller than for hackle-flies and palmers, and the superfluous
fibres are to be stripped off before the feather is tied on. Small neck
feathers of almost any bird will make a hackle sufficiently large for
the midge flies. The natural colors afford abundant variety for
trout-flies, but for salmon the gayest must be dyed. The necessary
colors are red, claret, blue, orange, purple, and yellow; and by suiting
the dye to the natural color, so that the latter shall shine through, a
fine effect is often produced. Considerable practice and experience will
be necessary in selecting hackles to distinguish the weak from the
harsh, and to determine the proper size and elasticity. Collect all
varieties of dimension and color, and tying each selection round the
roots with a thread, keep them in separate papers. After a while, those
that experience shall have proved to be unsuitable may be discarded.
The feathers of small birds make good wings for trout flies, and there
is not generally much difference in their color. Our brown thrush is
nearly the shade of the English land-rail; the robin furnishes a fine
and cohesive feather; the woodcock’s tail makes a pretty fly, while the
mallard and wood duck are indispensable.
There are two distinct feathers from the mallard which are used for
different flies; the brown and grey mallard feather, both taken from the
drake, the former from the back near the wings, and the latter from the
body beneath the wings. The bird must be in good plumage, and under the
most favorable circumstances they are both, except in simple wings as
hereafter described, difficult feathers to tie; the fibres, although
very fine, being apt to separate. Another light feather, much easier to
handle than the grey mallard, is taken from the back of the canvas-back,
but is of rather too pale a color; that from the red-head is of darker
grey. For salmon flies a larger range is requisite. The turkey of all
shades, but especially the black and brown of the wild bird, is the
main-stay; the golden pheasant’s tail is somewhat similar; the peacock
gives us excellent feathers of many shades, and the finer herls from the
eyes of the tail add lustre to a mixed wing. Peacock and ostrich herls
are used for the heads and bodies of certain specimens. Ibis, macaw,
guinea-fowl, blue-jay, king-fisher, parrot, are all necessary; while the
Argus pheasant, although injured by the water, makes an exquisite wing,
and the silver pheasant is used with effect in black bass flies.
For dyed feathers the pure white of the swan furnishes an excellent
material, while crossing colors, such as yellow over ibis, produces
great brilliancy. The mallard and canvas-back are also favorites for
dyeing. The principal shades are yellow, blue, and purple.
We will now proceed to make a salmon-fly after the simplest plan on a
large hook, and remember that the point is held down, and when the
further side is spoken of, it refers to it in that position; the head is
always towards the right and that is called the upper part, and towards
it is above.
Select a piece of stout gut a little longer than the shank; pare down
the ends with a knife; double them together so that one shall extend
beyond the other; insert the picker between them, bend at the top and
shape it by twisting and pinching the ends. If the hook is very large it
is well to take several strands of gut and first twist them together by
means of a vice fastened to each end, while they are wet and before
shaping them over the picker. When the gut is prepared lay it down and
take a well waxed piece of silk about six inches long, and holding the
hook in the left hand, wind a number of separated coils from the lower
towards the upper end of the shank, but not quite to the head. If the
silk is well waxed it will remain in its place while you pick up the gut
with your right hand, and lay it along the under side of the shank upon
these coils. Hold it there with your left while you wind firmly and
closely toward the bend; catch the last turn beneath the gut or pass a
half hitch, and cut off the end. Take a fresh piece of silk, always
thoroughly waxed, and pass a few turns over its end so as to fasten it;
then hold a piece of tinsel four times as long as the shank between your
left forefinger and the further side of the hook, just projecting above
it, and nearly vertical; pass three turns over it, and wind the silk in
separated or loose coils towards the head and let it hang there. Fasten
the spring pliers on to the lower end of the tinsel lengthways with it,
and holding the shank in the right hand, with the left forefinger in the
pliers, twist several turns down and then back to form the tag, covering
the edges of the first turns with the second carefully and neatly; let
the pliers hang; pass the hook to the left hand; unwind the silk with
the right down to the tinsel; fasten off with three turns and cut the
tinsel close to the hook. Unwind from the floss-spool over your right
hand a dozen strands, and smoothing them evenly together and holding
them against the hook with the left, tie in the ends firmly, and again
coil the tying silk toward the head out of the way. You may wind the
floss with either hand or with the pliers as you please; if you wind
with the right hand, hold the hook in the left and press the second
finger on each turn as it is passed; this is called stopping it or using
the stop. After covering about one sixteenth of an inch, seize the end
between your second and third or third and fourth fingers, and hold it
firmly while you bring down the tying silk and pass three turns; holding
the silk in that way is called using the catch, and is difficult to
acquire with facility. Cut the floss off neatly, and selecting a feather
from the golden pheasant top-knot, lay it on its face,—the side of the
feather which lies nearest the bird from which it is taken, is the
inside or back, and the contrary side the outside or face,—and secure
it firmly. Stop the tying silk and take up your hackle, which should
have been previously prepared by stroking back and pulling out a few
fibres toward the point, and holding it by the point with the right
hand, lay it on its face with the butt towards the left so that the bare
spot shall come at the upper end of the floss silk tip, and pass two
turns of the flying silk; insert a piece of tinsel in the same manner
parallel to and just over the hackle, and having fastened it, hold the
tying silk with the catch; take up the dubbing of mohair with your right
hand and spin it over the tying silk towards the left, having again
taken the latter into the right as soon as you have caught the end of
the mohair with the stop. Shape the mohair so that the body shall taper
and twist it evenly together with the tying silk towards the shoulder,
using the stop all the way, and do not carry it too close to the head;
pull off the superfluous mohair with the fingers of the right hand and
pass the silk four turns over the upper end of the body, and winding it
towards the head slip it between the gut and the hook. In this way you
can always secure the tying silk when you wish to lay down your work.
Spring the pliers on to the tinsel, and with the right forefinger pass
four even open coils carefully and regularly; unwind the silk, and
having secured the tinsel replace it. If these coils are imperfect or
irregular, neatness cannot be obtained. Having cut off the tinsel, catch
with the spring pliers the butt of the hackle and follow the edge of the
tinsel; rolling the hackle on its back so that the fibres shall point
down the shank. When you reach the shoulder pass several turns of the
hackle close above one another, and bringing down the tying silk secure
the butt. If one hackle is not sufficient, and it rarely is, introduce a
new hackle close above the first, precisely as you did the other, only
on its back, and wind a sufficient number of close coils and again
fasten it. The second hackle, if weak, may be fastened in on its back by
the butt, and wound with the point.
The silk being hitched under the gut cut it off and apply a new piece as
you did the second, and wind it towards the shoulder, letting it hang
close down to the hackle. Prepare the wings by cutting with a sharp
knife a few fibres from each of two mated feathers, together with a
little of the stem, so that the fibres shall not be separated, and
taking one piece by the butt in the right hand, lay it on the side of
the hook next to you, and holding it with the left pass two turns
securely, but not so tight as to derange the feather; then catching the
silk, pull the butt fearlessly into its proper place, and passing
another turn firmly, hitch the silk under the gut, and bring it over the
reversed way on top of the wing. Cut off the butt and taking the hook in
the left hand with the head towards the left, apply and hold the other
wing with the right hand. Still keeping the hook reversed and wind two
turns of silk with the left hand from you, and having arranged the butt
pass another turn and hitch the silk again under the gut, so as to
reverse it for the second time. If the wings are in their proper place,
equally on each side of the hook, restore the latter to its original
position in the left hand, and having cut off the butt neatly, pass as
many turns as you think advisable; then having with your nails stripped
off the fibres from the butt end of an ostrich herl, tie it in with the
point towards the left and the elevated ridge of its stem above.
Hitching the thread again under the gut, wind with the spring pliers the
herl in close coils to form the head; secure and cut it close, and then
stopping one end of silk under your forefinger whip the other over it
three turns and draw all tight. Apply a little varnish at the head and
your fly is finished.
To strengthen the fly, it is well to use a little varnish before the
head is commenced, and even before the wings are laid, but the writer’s
experience goes to prove that the wings are the last part of the fly to
give out. The head will be smaller if instead of the ordinary tying silk
three single strands of floss are used.
To make a handsome fly, fasten the hook, the tag, the tip, and the tail
as directed, then preparing an ostrich herl as for a head, tie it in and
wind several coils close to and covering the butt of the tail, holding
the hook in the right hand with the silk coiled up out of the way, and
using the pliers to guide the herl. Secure the end, apply with the left
hand at the nearer side of the hook, the tinsel, and afterwards at the
further side floss, for the body. Coil the tying silk out of the way,
and with the left hand wind the floss half way up the shank and secure
it; then tie in a hackle and some dubbing as heretofore directed, and
having spun the latter on the tying silk with the right hand, work it up
towards the head for the second division of the body, and secure it
firmly. Hitch the silk under the gut, and thrusting the butt of the
hackle down through the gut loop, with the pliers sprung on to the
tinsel, and on the left forefinger coil the tinsel up as far as the
hackle; withdraw the latter from the loop, hold it and the hook in the
left hand, and with the right forefinger continue the tinsel to the
head. Secure it; wind and secure the hackle as heretofore, and apply a
new piece of tying silk composed of strands of floss.
Select a few fibres of various feathers, which, combined, will produce a
pleasing effect, and holding them all together in the left hand twist
the lower half, that nearest the stem several times, and break it with
the nails of the right thumb and finger, till the fibres are softened at
the spot where they are to be tied to the hook. Include with them a
piece of herl, and applying them with the right hand to the hook, hold
them and it with the left, while you take sufficient turns of silk with
the right, hitch the silk and springing the pliers on to the herl, wind
and fasten the head and finish off.
There may be as many joints or divisions as fancy shall dictate; and
they can be either of floss silk, mohair, or other material. To conceal
the joints herl may be wound like a head or a few turns of hackle taken,
or two small feathers from the golden pheasant’s neck may be applied,
one above and the other below, and after being loosely tied they may be
drawn down by the butts till they are separate round the entire joint.
The favorite feather for the tail is the golden pheasant top-knot, but
in many flies scarlet worsted is preferable, and the fibres of other
feathers may be substituted. In making a mixed wing as it is called,
separate the fibres as much as possible, and after the wing is fastened,
a long golden pheasant top-knot tied over it will often improve the
effect. It is common to add to the wing two fibres of blue macaw, one on
each side, and to tie them properly the silk should be reversed by
passing it under the gut, as directed for tying simple wings. Care and
experience are requisite to the selection of a handsome mixed wing, and
fibres of mallard or wood duck, plain or dyed, are usually a component
part. Delicate feathers produce a finer effect than coarse ones.
In tying in an entire plume reduce it to the proper size by pulling off
the fibres, and if the stem is large pare it away and always flatten and
work it with the nails; then tie it loosely till it is properly
arranged, and finally, secure it with a number of turns. It will slip
unless made unusually firm, which the smallness of the head will readily
permit.
Where the tail is worsted, it may be made of several thicknesses, left
longer than necessary, and pared down and picked out after the fly is
finished. As it is essential that in making a head, the ridge of the
stem of the herl should be above, and as it is often obstinate in its
refusal to take that position, it may be wound either way,—that is,
from you or towards you.
Care should be taken with simple wings that each is in the same relative
position to the body, and that the fibres are not separated; with this
object not only must the thread be reversed as above directed, but
cohesive feathers should be selected. Some are exceedingly difficult to
tie, while others, such as the pheasant and turkey, retain their place
readily. They should be selected from feathers taken from the opposite
sides of the bird; and if two or more different kinds are to be used,
the first wing should be completed before the other is commenced, and
before the thread is reversed.
In rolling an ordinary feather in place of a hackle, the same course
may be taken as with the latter, but the better way where it is large
enough is to strip off the fibres of one side, and then pare away the
stem with a sharp knife. This requires care lest the knife slip and cut
your hopes in twain. The same may be done with a simple hackle where
great neatness is required, except that the stem does not need paring.
The tinsel may be double, tied in on opposite sides of the hook and
wound contrary ways, but the effect is hardly better than a simple
twist. In the latter avoid too many coils; they should not exceed four
on hooks numbered not larger than one and a half.
Two hackles, which, if the colors are well contrasted, produce a fine
effect, are usually rolled together, but may be wound one after the
other if care is taken to pick out the fibres. They are tied in at one
time and handled as though they composed but one.
A trout-fly may be made in the manner heretofore directed for
salmon-flies, omitting as much as you please, or the wings may be laid
together back to back or face to face, held in that position in the left
hand, and applied to the hook after the fibres have been pinched with
the nails at the proper place. Being secured in that way they resemble
the wings of the ephemeræ closely; whereas to make one of the
phryganidæ a few fibres of one side may be stripped off and tied on
alone, lying close down upon the hook. Remember the ephemeridæ have
whisks, the phryganidæ have none; the wings of the former stand up, of
the latter lie down. Coarse fibres of hackle, or golden pheasant breast
and back, are usually employed for whisks; and two strands of floss
carefully waxed with a small edge of the wax, will make a tying silk as
strong and large as should be used for a small fly. If well waxed, the
finer the silk the firmer it holds; if not waxed no silk whatever will
hold.
Another way of tying a trout-fly, by which more life is supposed to be
given to it, is by commencing to fasten the gut at the bend and
finishing at the head, holding the hook reversed; then change the hook
to its proper position, and reversing the thread, lay on the wings,
which are composed of two strips of feather folded, so that they shall
point up along the gut; secure them firmly and cut off the butts close,
divide them with the point of the picker and pass the thread through the
opening each way several times, and if necessary above them both, but
not on the root of the wings, till they stand up, then pushing them into
their original position tie in below them by the larger end a hackle and
a piece of round tinsel, and spinning a little dubbing on the silk, wind
it toward the bend; hold the thread with the catch, and with the pliers
wind the tinsel and afterwards the hackle, and fasten both at the bend;
and finish off with two half-hitches. The silk composing the material in
which the round tinsel is wound may be left for a tail, the coating
being pulled off; or the tip of the hackle may be so left, or proper
whisks may be introduced. The wings being drawn into their appropriate
place will remain there, and offering resistance to the water are
supposed by some to imitate motion. Those tied in this manner are not
handsome, but are great favorites with certain fishermen for their
assumed killing qualities, and are considered ruined if the silk covers
the roots of the wings, as is done by most Irish flytiers.
Flies may also be finished at the shoulder under the wing; a course that
seems to offer no advantages and to combine most disadvantages. Or the
body may be tied, beginning at the shoulder and finishing at the bend,
as last described, omitting the wings and leaving a place for them till
the last; a new piece of thread is then applied, and the wings being
tied in their natural position, the second finish is made at the head.
To prepare two single strands of floss as tying silk, hold one end
between your teeth, twist the silk and rub it lightly with a small edge
of wax. If the weather is cold the wax may require thumbing before it
can be used or will stick to the silk. There will be found considerable
difference in the strength of strands of floss according to the color,
and in very small flies this may be suited to the insect intended to be
imitated, and the necessity of any other body avoided.
The word buzz, which is taken from the buzzing motion of an insect’s
wings when moved rapidly, is applied to the hackle wound more or less
along the body, and supposed thus without wings to represent that
motion. The hackle may be carried all the way from the bend or only
part of the way, or merely tied very full at the head. In this matter,
as well as concerning palmers, writers differ. A palmer is properly a
long-bodied fly with two small hooks, and hackles wound the entire
length, to represent a caterpillar and its hairy ornaments. The hooks
are often made double expressly for this purpose. A hackle has but one
hook and a shorter body. The word midge is another word that leads to
mistakes; there are only a few proper midge-flies, such as the gnat,
ant, etc., but any fly may be dressed on a minute hook and called a
midge-fly, although this is not an accurate use of language. Horse-hair
is sometimes used as a substitute for gut by old-fashioned anglers, but
it is weaker, more apt to slip, and more perceptible to the fish.
An excellent plan for preserving feathers conveniently and safely, is to
put them in envelopes suited in size to their length, and to stow them,
together with a piece of camphor, in a tin box. If they are looked over,
occasionally, and the camphor renewed as it wastes, they will remain
untouched by moth; but if they are to be kept for a long time unhandled,
they should be deposited in a linen bag. The envelopes should be large,
for if the fibres are bent they will not make handsome wings, and the
different classes of feathers may be tied in separate bundles.
The following wax is recommended in the Appendix to “Fly-fishing in Salt
and Fresh Water:”—Melt some resin in a small vessel over a slow fire,
and whilst it is on the fire and after it has become fluid, take a pure
white wax candle, light it and let it drop into the melted resin; there
is no rule as to the quantity. Pour out upon a board either greased or
rubbed with wax from the candle, one fourth of the composition; then
drop more wax into the remainder and pour out one fourth more. Proceed
in the same manner with the other two fourths, and thus you will have
wax of four degrees of hardness; that with the least wax dropped from
the candle being for use in hot weather, the others for different
degrees of temperature of the seasons. After the composition has become
cool on the board, it should be well worked on the board as shoemaker’s
wax is.
To make soft wax to use upon very delicate silk, dissolve some common
shoemaker’s wax in spirits of wine until it becomes of the consistency
of butter, then put a small quantity on the inside of a piece of an old
kid glove, and draw the silk gently through it. Or put a piece of
shoemaker’s wax the size of a walnut in a small bottle, and pour over it
an ounce of eau-de-cologne; shake it occasionally till it dissolves,
when it is ready for use; then taking a drop between the finger and
thumb, draw the silk through it. It may be carried in a metal bottle
with a screw stopper, and if well corked will keep for years.
In Scrope’s Days and Nights of Salmon Fishing, is found the following
description of a few favorite salmon flies:—
Wings.—Mottled feather from under the wing of a male teal.
Head.—Yellow wool.
Body.—Fur of the hare’s ear.
End of Body.—Red wool.
Tail.—Yellow wool.
Round the body.—Black cock’s hackle.
Wings.—Mottled feather from under the wing of the male teal.
Head.—Crimson wool.
Body.—Water rat’s fur.
End of body.—Crimson wool.
Tail.—Yellow wool.
Round the body.—Black cock’s hackle.
End of body.—A little red hackle.
Wings.—Black feather from a turkey’s tail tipped with white.
Head.—Crimson wool.
Body.—Black bullock’s hair.
End of body.—Crimson wool.
Tail.—Yellow wool.
Body.—Black cock’s hackle.
End of body.—Small piece of red cock’s hackle.
Wings.—Mottled feather from the back of a drake (mallard).
Head.—Yellow wool with a little hare’s fur next to it.
Body.—Black wool.
End of the body.—Fur from the hare’s ear; next to the hare’s ear,
crimson wool.
Tail.—Yellow wool.
Round the body.—Black cock’s hackle.
End of the body.—Red cock’s hackle.
Round the body.—Gold twist spirally.
Wings.—From the tail of a brown turkey.
Head.—Crimson wool.
Body.—Yellow silk.
End of body.—Crimson wool.
Tail.—Yellow or orange wool.
Round the body.—Red cock’s hackle.
Round the body.—Gold twist; over it hackle mixed with color, as
above.
Wings.—Light brown from the wing of a bittern.
Head.—Yellow wool.
Next the head.—Mottled blue feather from a jay’s wing.
Body.—Brown wool mixed with bullock’s hair.
Towards the end of body.—Green wool; next to that crimson wool.
Tail.—Yellow wool.
Round the body.—Gold twist; over that cock’s hackle, black at the
roots and red at the points.
“Concerning these flies, I will note one thing, which is, that if you
rise a fish with the Lady of Mertoun, and he does not touch her, give
him a rest and come over him with the Toppy, and you have him to a
certainty, and vice-versâ. This I hold to be an invaluable secret, and
is the only change that, during my long practice, I have found eminently
successful.
“Another method of dressing No. 3, Toppy; wing feather from rump or tail
of turkey, which is black below and strongly marked with a white tip, to
be set on Tweed fashion (that is to say, the wings parted and made to
lie open like a butterfly’s wings).
“Body black mohair; three turns of broad silver tinsel.
“Blue or black heron’s neck-feather at the shoulder; if heron’s feather
cannot be procured, a good-sized black cock’s hackle; orange or yellow
wool, for tail.”
The long transparent bodies which are made in imitation of the
ephemeridæ, and are rather more admired by the fancy angler than by
the fish, are composed of small pieces of gut, whalebone, or other
similar material, which, after being cut to the proper length, are
fastened on at the shoulder, together with a thin flat end of gut, such
as comes in the covered part of every hank, and which, after being well
soaked in warm water, has been smoothed down with the finger nail. The
latter, while still damp and pliable, is wound evenly round the material
of the body, including the hook, for several turns, and then round the
body alone, and secured at the extremity by passing a couple of turns
over the end and drawing it through. As this is transparent, it will
show the color of the substance below, and may even be wound over
floss-silk bodies which do not project beyond the hook, and while adding
brilliancy, will protect them from injury. The whisks may be included
with the solid material of the body, and an upper section may be added;
the hackles are to be introduced, and the wings secured afterwards; but
although a very perfect imitation, it is not generally so killing as the
ordinary artificial fly.
In giving the preceding directions, it is by no means intended to advise
that the table vice should be discarded; but, on the contrary, a small
or handsome fly can be tied much more easily with its assistance. A
little practice with the fingers alone will, however, greatly increase
one’s expertness, and remove an awkward difficulty in case the vice
should by any chance be left behind. The great objection to tying a fly
with the fingers is the risk of mussing the feathers, especially in
summer, when perspiration prevails.
I am indebted to Mr. J. James Hyde, a gentleman who, although an
amateur, is one of the most finished anglers and neatest dressers of a
well-imitated trout-fly in the United States, for the following
directions for tying all Ronalds’s flies with the feathers of our
American birds, so that the angler who may be unacquainted with the
English feathers can make an accurate imitation, and not, as is too
common in this country, produce some wretched abortion for a well-known
fly, and may at the same time avoid the unnecessary outlay of importing
expensive foreign materials.
The following list of flies is taken from Alfred Ronalds’s “Fly-Fisher’s
Entomology.” This work has been selected because its descriptions are
imitations of real flies, and not of traditional or conventional
nondescripts, which, although the delight of professional dressers,
might be safely worshipped without breaking the commandment, since they
are not the “likeness of any thing in the heaven above, nor in the earth
beneath, nor in the waters under the earth.”
Some alterations have been made for the purpose of facilitating the
reader in his choice of materials, and the feathers indicated are, in
most cases, those of our own birds, which may be easily procured, and
are quite as suitable as the foreign ones given by Ronalds. Mohair is
the best material for the bodies of trout-flies, and though others are
sometimes named as being an easier method, the experienced amateur will
prefer mohair, with which he will produce the same effect, without any
of the objections to which all other materials are liable; and by a
judicious mixture, any shade of color may be obtained.
Ronalds’s work being descriptive of English flies only, it has been
deemed advisable to substitute their American prototypes in all cases
where they are known; and although the trout are not perhaps thorough
entomologists, the scientific fisherman will always prefer to use a fly
which exists in the waters he frequents, to an English resemblance,
restricted perhaps to a confined locality some thousands of miles away.
As a general rule, there is no doubt that the best imitations of the fly
the fish are taking will be the most successful; yet there are
exceptions, of which the ibis fly is a glaring instance. It is also
desirable at times to vary the sizes of flies, and to make the
imitations larger than the living flies—when, for instance, the water
is rough or thick; but these variations are not of absolute importance.
This fly is the earliest American ephemera, and may be found on warm
days in February. In March it is abundant. It lives three or four days,
and then becomes the red spinner.
Body.—Mouse-colored mohair, spun very thinly on yellow silk.
Tail.—Two fibres of gray mallard.
Wings.—From a quill-feather of the robin’s wing. The third or fourth
feather with a tinge of reddish brown at the extremity of the fibre.
Legs.—Two or three turns of a blue or ginger dun hackle. One side of
the hackle may be stripped off for the ephemeridæ.
This is the blue dun in its perfect or imago state. It is now of a
reddish brown, and its wings are nearly transparent. It lives four or
five days, but if the weather be hot, will be found more at evening.
Body.—Of bright reddish brown mohair, ribbed with silk of same color.
Tail.—Two whisks of a red cock’s hackle, or of the red body-feather
of the golden pheasant.
Wings.—From a thin, transparent mottled grey feather of the mallard
or wood-duck.
Legs.—Plain red cock’s hackle. The wings of the ephemeridæ stand
upright on their backs.
This insect lives upon small flies, etc., whose blood it sucks in a
manner similar to that of the land spider. It runs upon the water and
darts upon its prey while struggling on the surface. In the summer
months it is provided with wings.
Body.—Orange mohair, spun on black silk, and ribbed with black silk.
Legs and Wings.—A black cock’s hackle. This fly is always made buzz.
The wings are very transparent.
This fly is found upon the grass in a torpid state, until the sun warms
the air, when it takes wing; and afterwards, if there be a breeze, it is
found upon the water. They are of great variety of color, but the black
is the most common.
Body.—Black mohair spun thickly on black silk.
Wings.—The dun feather of a mallard wing. The wings lie flat upon its
back, and the upper fibres of the hackle should be cut off.
Legs.—A dark grizzled hackle. This is a late fly.
This fly is to be found throughout the year. It is most abundant in
March, and during a high wind it is blown upon the water. The color of
the male is a tawny yellow; that of the female a greenish brown.
Male.—Imitation.
Body.—Yellow and light-brown mohair mixed, spun on light brown silk.
Wings.—The wing feather of the brown thrush, or of the rail
(corncrake).
Legs.—A ginger-colored hackle.
Female.—Olive-colored mohair body; wings and legs the same. The wings
lie flat, and the upper hackles should be cut off.
This is a small beetle, very abundant on warm summer days. It often
falls upon the water in its flight, or is blown upon it by the wind. It
is highly praised by English writers, and is described by Arundo, in
“Practical Fly-Fishing,” as “the little chap.”
Body.—Copper-colored peacock’s herl.
Wings.—The darkest part of a robin’s wing-feather.
Legs.—A dark purple-dyed hackle.
This ephemera is the next in season after the blue dun. It is a
handsome and attractive fly, and is eagerly devoured by the trout. The
male is of a chocolate color, and the female a greenish brown. It lives
three or four days, and then changes into the great red spinner.
Body.—Sandy-brown mohair, ribbed over with olive silk.
Tail.—Two fibres of a brown hen’s feather.
Wings.—From the mottled wing-feather of a brown hen, which may be
found of the exact shade.
Legs.—A brown hen’s hackle, or the small brown body-feather of the
widgeon.
This is the metamorphosis of the March brown, and may be used on warm
evenings through the season. It is a very excellent fly.
Body.—Orange and brown mohair mixed, ribbed with fine gold twist.
Tail.—Two fibres of a bright amber red hackle, or the body-feather of
the golden pheasant, which is a strong, durable feather for this
purpose, and may be found from a bright yellow to deep red.
Wings.—Light-colored feather from the robin’s wing.
Legs.—A bright amber red hackle.
This fly comes from a water larva, and is one of the best flies which
can be used during April and May. Its wings are long and full, and lie
flat upon its back.
Body.—Sandy-colored mohair, spun on silk of the same color.
Wings.—From the wing-feather of the brown thrush, or the mottled
brown feather of a young hen.
Legs.—A light ginger hackle. Cut off the upper fibres of the hackle,
that the wings may lie flat.
This fly also comes from a water larva. It is heavy in its flight, but
runs with great rapidity, and is generally found in streams, amongst the
stones or close to the sides of the water. Its body is nearly half an
inch in length.
Body.—Brown and yellow mohair mixed, and ribbed with yellow silk.
Tail.—Two strands of brown hen’s wing.
Wings.—From the mottled feather of a brown hen made full, and to lie
flat.
Legs.—A grizzled hackle.
This fly is found only in running waters, but where it is found it is
very numerous. It may be used all day, and is a very delicate fly. It
will raise fish in clear water when no other fly will.
Body.—Lead-colored silk thread, with which the fly is tied. Fine and
thin.
Wings.—From an under covert feather of the wood-cock’s wing. To lie
flat.
Legs.—Two turns only of a black hackle.
This fly comes from a water larva, and is found chiefly at morning and
at evening. The green tint of its body is derived from the color of the
bag of eggs near the tail. There are a number of species in the United
States, and in some the bag of eggs is yellow, and in some orange. The
green is the most used.
Body.—Work in a little tuft of green at the tail, and then finish the
body of sandy-colored mohair.
Wings.—A light brown mottled hen’s feather, to lie flat.
Legs.—A pale ginger hackle.
The body of the male is yellow, without the green tag.
This beautiful ephemera is one of our very best flies. There are
several varieties, and some of them are an inch in length. It changes to
a spinner, very similar to the metamorphosis of the blue dun (No. 2),
only lighter and yellower, and should be so tied.
Body.—Yellow mohair spun very thinly on pale blue silk.
Wings.—From the lightest part of the feather of a robin’s wing.
Legs.—A pale yellow dun hackle.
This fly must not be finished off at the head with the blue silk, but a
yellow must be tied in for the purpose when the body is done.
This is one of the smallest of the ephemeridæ, but not the least
useful. It lives only two or three days before changing its coat, when
its body becomes almost white, and its wings transparent.
Body.—Pale blue mohair, very thinly spun on reddish-brown silk, with
which the head must be finished.
Tail.—Two whisks of the yellow body-feather of the golden pheasant.
Wings.—From the wing-feather of the blue-bird.
Legs.—A very small yellow dun hackle.
This is the name of the iron blue dun (No. 14) in his new dress, in
which he lives four or five days. It is a killing fly towards evening in
clear water in summer. There are in the United States at least some
hundred varieties of these small ephemeridæ, of every conceivable
color, and the skilful dresser will take pleasure in tying them, using
the feathers of the small domestic and foreign birds which he can
procure. Such are the sky-blue, the orange dun, the pale evening dun,
the July dun (blue and yellow), the whirling blue dun, and the little
pale dun.
Body.—White floss silk, tied at head and tail with brown silk thread.
Tail.—Two whisks light dun hackle.
Wings.—From a blue-bird’s wing-feather.
Legs.—A very small and very light dun hackle, nearly white.
This is another of the ephemeridæ, and a most useful one to the
fisherman. It is not so small as the preceding one (No. 14), and changes
to a very light red spinner.
Body.—Pale ginger-colored mohair, ribbed with yellow silk.
Tail.—Two whisks of yellow, or ginger hackle.
Wings.—Mottled feather of the mallard, dyed a greenish yellow.
Legs.—Light ginger hackle, dyed the same color as the wings.
Every fisherman is familiar with this little insect, and has taken trout
with their mouths and throats filled with them. It is, however, not
properly a gnat, but a midge.
Body.—Black ostrich herl.
Wings.—The darkest feather of a robin’s wing.
Legs.—A black hackle.
The black midge should be made similarly, but with a thin black silk
body.
This is a land fly, and may be found upon the trunks of trees or on
posts near the water. It is carried on the water by the wind, and is
consequently used with most success on windy days, like the cow-dung.
Body.—Orange floss silk or mohair, ribbed with black silk.
Wings.—The darkest part of the wing-feather of a curlew.
Legs.—A furnace, or red and black hackle.
This ephemera is common to most of the waters of New York, and is
found on nearly all the Long Island ponds, where it is eagerly taken by
the trout. It appears about the middle of April, and changes to a little
dark spinner, which is a most killing fly just before dusk.
Body.—Brown mohair ribbed with purple silk. The female is of a
greenish brown.
Tail.—Two fibres of the same feather as the wings.
Wings.—Of the brown mottled feather from the back of a ruffed grouse.
Legs.—A red-brown hackle.
This is the perfect, or Imago, state of the turkey brown (No. 19) just
described. It is as fragile as it is beautiful, and can hardly be
touched without maiming or killing it.
Body.—Light reddish-brown floss silk, ribbed with purple.
Tail.—Three whisks of a light dun hackle.
Wings.—From a feather of the robin’s wing, or the under feather of a
young grouse’s wing.
Legs.—A light dun hackle.
This is a water fly, which continues in season for four or five weeks
from the middle of May. Its wings are transparent, and lie close and
flat. It is sometimes called “the flat yellow.”
Body.—Yellow mohair, ribbed with pale green silk thread.
Wings.—White pigeon wing, stained a pale greenish yellow.
Legs.—A white hackle, dyed the same color as the wings.
The two most common varieties of this fly are known as the “Soldier” and
the “Sailor.” The wing coverings of one are red, and of the other blue.
They are both well taken by the trout until the end of July, on hot
days.
Body.—Orange floss silk.
Wings.—The darkest part of a robin’s wing-feather.
Legs.—A red cock’s hackle.
Two or three fibres of some blue feather may be tied in with each wing,
on the outside, or of red, to represent the wing-covers.
This fly comes from a water nympha. It lays its eggs upon the leaves
of trees which overhang the water, whence they drop into it. It is in
season during May and June.
Body.—Peacock’s herl tied with black silk.
Wings.—From a feather of a brown hen, made large and full.
Legs.—A black cock’s hackle.
This is the most famous of all the English ephemeridæ. It is a large
and beautiful fly, but is not found, so far as known, except in running
waters. For ordinary streams and ponds here the “little yellow May dun”
(No. 16) will be found preferable.
Body.—Straw-colored floss silk, ribbed with brown; the head of
peacock’s herl.
Tail.—Three hairs from a fitch’s tail.
Wings.—From a mottled feather of the mallard, stained a greenish
yellow.
The female of this fly changes to the grey drake, and the male to the
black drake. They are little used.
This is a beetle, the pupa of which inhabits the earth. It is found
upon poplar-trees, and a species very similar is found upon fern. It is
blown upon the water, and is to be used on windy days.
Body.—A black ostrich herl and a peacock’s herl, twisted together on
red silk.
Wings and Legs.—Made buzz with a dark furnace hackle.
As this fly never alights upon the water, it is generally seen
struggling with its wings in motion.
This is the imago, or perfect state of another kind of green drake,
darker than No. 24. It is found in some waters where the true green
drake is not, and is used in its stead.
Body.—Dark mulberry floss silk, ribbed with fine gold twist.
Tail.—Three hairs from a fitch’s tail.
Wings.—From the brown mottled feather of the mallard, which hangs
from the back over a part of the wing.
Legs.—A dark purple hackle.
This beautiful insect is not found upon all waters, but where it is,
affords great sport on windy days. It may be used from June till the end
of September.
Body.—Pale yellowish green floss silk, tied with silk of the same
color.
Legs.—Pale blue dun hackle, with one or two turns in front of the
wings.
Wings.—A pale transparent mallard, or wood-duck feather, stained
slightly green. Very full, long, and to lie flat.
This is a species of hopper, sometimes called “ant hoppers.” They
hop and fly for about twenty yards, and sometimes drop short and fall
upon the water. The light and dark brown, and the greenish blue, are the
most common.
Body.—Ginger-colored mohair ribbed with fine gold twist, short.
Wings and Legs.—Feather from a wren’s tail, wound on hackle-wise.
A brown mottled hackle may be used in place of the wren’s tail feather.
There are many species of these winged ants, and they are familiar to
every one. The red and black are those generally used.
Body.—Copper-colored peacock’s herl, wound thickly, for two or three
turns, at the tail to form a tuft; the rest of the body dark red silk.
Wings.—From the lightest part of a robin’s wing. To lie flat.
Legs.—A small red hackle.
The black ant is made of black ostrich herl body; wings from the darkest
part of a robin’s wing; legs, a small black hackle.
This fly is an excellent one until the end of August, principally in
showery weather.
Body.—Black ostrich herl tied with black silk, and trimmed down.
Wings.—A wing-feather of the black-bird.
Legs.—Small black cock’s hackle.
Horns.—Two strands of the grey feather of the mallard.
The male has black horns. To make it buzz, the body is to be ribbed
with silver twist upon the black ostrich herl, and a black hackle
wrapped the whole length of the body.
This fly comes from a water nympha, lives two or three days, and
changes to a red spinner. This fly is for August what the March brown is
for March.
Body.—Brown floss silk, ribbed with yellow silk thread.
Tail.—Two hairs from a fitch’s tail.
Wings.—Feather of a brown hen’s wing.
Legs.—Plain brown hackle.
Made buzz with a grouse feather, in place of wings and legs.
This is an Ichneumon Fly. It is furnished with an ovipositor, for the
purpose of piercing the skins of caterpillars, in which it deposits its
eggs, the grub from which grows in, and ultimately kills, the insect in
which it was hatched.
Body.—Orange floss silk tied on with black. Thick and square at the
tail.
Wings.—Darkest part of a robin’s wing.
Legs.—A very dark furnace hackle.
This fly comes from a water pupa. It should be used after a shower,
and on a windy day. It is a very killing fly on some waters, and
somewhat resembles the land fly, but does not appear so early.
Body.—Fawn-colored mohair, tied on silk of the same color.
Wings.—Feather of a yellow-brown hen’s wing, rather darker than the
thrush feather. To lie flat.
Legs.—A ginger hackle.
The pinnated grouse’s small wing-feather, dyed a pale cinnamon with
madder and copperas, is an excellent feather for the wings of this fly,
and of No. 34.
This ephemera is found in abundance on the streams in Pike Co., Pa.,
and in some other localities. It is similar to the little yellow May
dun, but is of a bright cinnamon color, and comes on in July and August.
Its metamorphosis is of a light red brown, with wings almost white.
Body.—Red and yellow mohair spun on yellow silk, and ribbed with the
same.
Wings.—The light feather of a grouse’s wing, dyed cinnamon with
madder, or the feather of a curlew’s wing.
Tail.—Two fibres of the same feather as the wings.
Legs.—A ginger hackle.
This and the house fly become blind and weak in September, are
frequently blown upon the water, and afford good sport. They may be used
especially after a frosty night, but are not unsuccessful earlier in the
season.
Body.—Bright blue mohair, tied with light brown silk. The body thick.
Wings.—The lightest feather of a robin’s wing.
Legs.—Two turns of a black hackle.
The House Fly may be made thus:
Body.—Light brown and green mohair mixed.
Wings.—Light-colored feather from a robin’s wing.
Legs.—A blue dun hackle.
Head.—Green peacock’s herl, with two or three turns under the wings.
This is the caterpillar of the garden tiger-moth. This palmer is found
early in the spring, and is chiefly recommended for streams where trees
overhang the water. Cuvier states that this caterpillar changes its skin
ten times during its growth.
Body.—Peacock’s herl, with a red cock’s hackle wrapped the whole
length, and tied with red silk.
Ronalds’s palmers are made long, and have a second hook tied in about
half way up the body. It is a killing fly in streams, and of little use
in ponds in the United States.
The preceding remarks on the red palmer apply equally to this and the
succeeding description. The white and yellow are equally successful on
wooded streams, and they all may be used through the season.
Body.—Light brown mohair spun on brown silk, and a brown cock’s
hackle wrapped all the way up.
Body.—Black ostrich herl, ribbed with gold twist, and a red cock’s
hackle wrapped over it.
The feather at the shoulder should be a large furnace hackle, and the
herl should be thickest there. Show the gold twist clearly at the tail.
