Fully dressed flies
Fully dressed flies | |
---|---|
Artificial fly | |
nymph fly's beard that is only on the bottom of the hook and extends to the point (i.e. Guinea, Honey Dun Hackle). | |
Legs | none |
Tag | a small portion tied on the bend before the tai; usually floss or tinsel |
Butt | small ball of fur dubbing, herl, or Krystal Flash; tied after the tail and before the body (similar to midsection, shoulder) |
Cheek | small feather tied on each side of the wing just before tying the head, contrasts the wing and body slightly. |
Head | usually thread or fur, tied in at the end behind the eye; usually with thread it is tied to present a smooth "head"; with fur to hide small tips left from the wing (with same purpose as thread head). |
Bead | none |
Uses | |
Primary use | Salmon |
Fully dressed flies are elaborate and colorful
salmon flies, which are exquisite patterns made from mostly rare and beautiful materials and feathers, including golden pheasants, toucans, swans, and ivory-billed woodpeckers. These flies have been popular in the United Kingdom since the 19th century.[1][2] Fully dressed flies are often meant for display and are not used in actual fishing.[3][4] Many patterns are expensive to tie because of the cost of rare feathers.[4][5]
Parts
Parts of a fully dressed fly, as listed in Kelson's 1895 book, are shown below.[6]
Key to Parts of Salmon Fly Image[6]
|
The key to the figure as explained by Kelson with comments in parentheses are listed below.
- A. Gut loop[6] (hook eye)
- B.Tag, Here in two sections, silver twist followed by floss silk, a small portion tied on the bend before the tail[6] (usually floss or tinsel)
- C. C. Tail, of a topping and usually of a crow feathers (usually feather fibers[6] (i.e. feather tippets, hackle)
- D1, D2, D3. Butts Between D1 (tail butts) and D3 (head butts) lies the body divided in this type of fly into two sections by D2 (section butt), each section having 5 ribs of tinsel; D3 is here preceded by (in order of construction) by Toucan feathers above and below.[6] (small ball of fur dubbing, herl, or Krystal Flash; tied after the tail and before the body (similar to midsection, shoulder)
- E. Hackle, here distinguished as "Upper section hackle". When wound over the whole length of the fly it is termed "Body Hackle" (Throat/Beard-fibers tied like a nymph fly's beard that is only on the bottom of the hook and extends to the point[6](i.e. Guinea, Honey Dun Hackle).
- E2. Throat Hackle, usually written "throat"[6]
- F. Under wing. Here of "White tipped turkey"[6]
- G. Over Wing, in most flies capped with a "topping"[6] (the most complicated and intricate part; usually made from feathers and tips of feathers (i.e. turkey, duck, bustard, jay) either separate feathers or married feathers. Usually the color complements the body and presents a theme.
- HH. Horns[6]
- J. Sides[6] (thin feather sections tied before the cheeks, in an angle similar to the wing angle.)
- K. Cheeks[6] (small feather tied on each side of the wing just before tying the head, contrasts the wing and body slightly)
- L. Head[6] (usually thread or fur, tied in at the end behind the eye; usually with thread it is tied to present a smooth "head"; with fur to hide small tips left from the wing (with same purpose as thread head))
- 1. A line showing the proper length of the tail and wing beyond the hook-bend[6]
- 2. Indicates the place of the first coil of the tag relatively to the hook-barb, the best barb supplying the best guide to the eye in initial operation of tying on the "tag" material.[6]
- 3. Indicates place on the hook-shank (relatively to the hook-point), at which ends of the gut loop should terminate, leaving the gap, for adjustment[6]
See also
Gallery
Salmon Flies
-
Green Highlander (1914)[7]
-
Jock Scott (1850)[8]
-
Salmon flies from the Book of Salmon by Edward Fitzgibbon (1850)[9]
-
Durham Ranger (mid 19th Century)[10]
-
Triumph Bass Fly
-
Mosca da salmone
-
Labeled Jock Scott
-
Plate of flies from T. E. Pryce-Tannatt (1914)[7]
-
Royal Coachman (1892)[11]
References
- ^ only two known patterns use ivory-billed woodpecker feathers
- ISBN 0811717798.
- ^ Luallen, Wayne (1997). Tying the Classic Salmon Fly: A Modern Approach to Traditional Techniques. Stackpole Books.
- ^ a b Hill, Lawrence (July 23, 2020). "Best Classical Salmon Patterns, A Guide to Productive Patterns". Into Fly Fishing. Retrieved March 13, 2021.
- ^ Blacker, Willaim (1842). Blacker's Art of Fly Making. London: George Nichols.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s Kelson, George M. (1895). The Salmon Fly-HOW TO DRESS IT AND HOW TO USE IT. London: Wyman and Sons Ltd. pp. 17–18.
- ^ a b Pryce-Tannatt, T. E. (1914). How To Dress Salmon Flies-A Handbook for Amateurs (PDF). London: Adam and Charles Black.
- ^ Kontio, Timo. "Fly tying the Jock Scott Salmon Fly Step by Step". Fly Tying Archive. Retrieved March 13, 2021.
- ^ Fitzgibbon, Edward (1850). The Book of Salmon (PDF). London: Longman, Brown, Green and Longmans.
- ^ First tied in the mid 19th Century, most likely by Mr. William Henderson of Durham, England.
- ^ Marbury, Mary Orvis (1892). Favorite Flies and Their Histories. Boston and New York: Houghton Mifflin and Company. pp. 97.