New Blogs

If you are a fan of the Salmon Fly, then you owe it to yourself to check out a couple of new blogs from my good friend, Andrew Marshall.  For in-depth, historical discussion of patterns and their variations, head on over to atlanticsalmonflyguy’s blog.

His companion blog of original designs is here original creations.

Enjoy!  And let him know how you found him so he’ll cough up something nice for me for Christmas.

The Black Dog – Kelson version

The Black Dog as per George M. Kelson, The Salmon Fly c.1895

Tag:  Silver twist and canary silk

Tail:  A topping and ibis

Butt:  Black herl

Body:  Black silk

Ribs:  Yellow silk, and silver tinsel (oval) running on each side of it

Hackle:  Black heron from the third turn of yellow rib

Wings:  Two red-orange hackles (back-to-back) enveloped by two Jungle; unbarred summer duck; light Bustard, Amherst Pheasant, Swan dyed scarlet and yellow and two toppings

Kelson's Black Dog

My how the pattern had changed from it’s humble, drab origins.  Bright colored wings, a more ornate tip and tag, tail veiling, underwings, it all changed.  Kelson claimed to be the originator, and this is the pattern most often referred to when tyers speak of a Black Dog.

Another Kelson Black Dog

We Interrupt This Program…

To bring you an old pattern that I tied as a tribute after 9/11.  I recently tied it again:

with optional horns

Tip: Fine oval silver tinsel

Tag: Dark Royal Blue silk

Tail: Dyed red golden pheasant crest covered with Kingfisher

Butt: Black ostrich herl

Rear Body: Medium oval silver tinsel, veiled above and below with Indian Crow (sub.)

Body Joint: Black ostrich herl

Front Body: Dark Royal Blue silk with crossing ribs of small oval silver tinsel

Throat: White saddle hackle covered with a couple of turns of red schlappen

Wings: Two pair of Amherst Pheasant tippets, back-to-back as for a Lady Amherst

Shoulders: Jungle cock

Topping: Red dyed golden pheasant crest

Horns (optional): Hyacinth Macaw

The Rising

The Black Dog – Francis Francis version

Pattern as per A Book On Angling by Francis Francis, c. 1867:

Tail:  Tuft of olive yellow pig’s wool

Body:  Black mohair

Ribs:  Gold and silver tinsel with orange silk in between

Hackle:  Two or three black hackles

Throat:  Gallina

Wing:  Grey speckled turkey, two long slips

One of my interpretations…

I’ve run across supposed patterns attributed to Francis Francis in print and in online resources that differ greatly from this.  There is not another recipe listed for the Black Dog in A Book On Angling.  If anyone can document a different pattern from Francis Francis, I would sure love to hear from you!

We will next take a look at probably the most well-known Black Dog pattern – that of George M. Kelson.

The Black Dog – Mackintosh version

Pattern as per the Driffield Angler; in Two Parts by Alexander Mackintosh, c. 1806:

The hook No. 1, and shank near three inches long; the wings, the bluish feather from the heron’s wing, intermixed with the spotted reddish ones of a turkey’s tail; feathers for the body, lead coloured hog’s soft wool from under the ear, small gold twist, a large black cock’s hackle; the head, a little dark green mohair, and dark green silk.

This is tied on one of my re-worked hooks – a size 4/0 XL.  Here’s my interpretation’s recipe:

Rib:  Gold thread, doubled

Hackle:  Black Spey coque hackle, stripped one side and wrapped all the way up the body

Body:  Lead colored pig’s wool (a blend of black, gray, and brown)

Wings:  Two heron gray Bird’s Fur (Whiting) plumes covered with two strips of spotted reddish turkey tail feather

Head:  Green mohair spun on green Gossamer silk

Top view

This is the top view showing the position of the wings, which are tied vertically and slightly split.  A second fly adhering to the same recipe, but tied on a Partridge Harrison Bartleet #2/0 :

This is the oldest version recorded for the Black Dog, which underwent colorful changes on its way to the fly as most know it today.  We will examine the transformation in future posts.

Updates

Some brief notes on hook-making/re-working and instructions for tying the Kelson version of the Green Highlander have been added to the Tying Notes section.

Hook-Making 101

Tying the Green Highlander

The Lady Amherst

I like tippet-wing flies: the Ranger series, the Duke of Edinburgh, the Stevenson, the Evening Star and Lady Amherst…just a few of the tippet-wings that I have tied over the years.  I was asked to dress a Lady Amherst by an author in Germany for an article.  Since I have not dressed one of these since 2003, I looked forward to the opportunity to re-visit one of the modern classic tippet wing flies.

I won’t bore you with the tedious shot-by-shot tying process.  But let’s take a look at some of the stages of dressing this classic salmon fly (as usual, click the picture for a larger view in another window):

The tip and tag have been tied, the tail has been placed, a few strands of teal have been applied as a light veiling, and the ostrich butt has been completed.  I am carefully smoothing the underbody with thread while adding the medium oval silver tinsel for the rib.  Notice the ribbing material is tied in on the far side of the hook, and it travels the length of the shank (from the gut eye tie off point, to the rear).  I want the underbody as even as possible for the tinsel that will form the body.  Notice the black markings on the body.  I have marked where I want to tie in the body hackle and where the front of the body will stop.  I find these little guidelines helpful in helping me lay out the body construction.  I always use white or yellow thread for dressing salmon flies, switching to black at the head.

The tinsel body has been wrapped, paying careful attention to working around the hackle that is to start at the second rib, and the oval tinsel rib has been brought forward in 5 equal turns.  The second turn is placed just in front of the badger hackle.

The hackle has been applied and the throat has been completed with a couple of turns of teal.  I try to keep the hackles flowing back by folding them before and working the fibers back as I tie them on.

The first pair of jungle cock have been applied back to back.  The two pairs of Amherst tippets have been tied on as well.  The original pattern recipe calls for the first pair to be more square in shape, with the shorter covering pair to be more rounded.  I try to place the shorter pair so that the top black bar will merge with the second black bar of the large tippets.

Here is a look down the hook shank – note the position of the wing materials.  Straight up and down, like  a ‘knife-edge.”  I do not want the feathers to splay out at angles to the shank.

Here, the cheek feathers of jungle cock and kingfisher have been added, the topping applied, and the macaw horns set along the upper portion of the wing.  This is the completed fly.

Speys Revisited

I have been working, once again, on a few Spey flies.  These simple and elegant flies are a favorite of mine to tie.  I just think they look great in a display case, a fly box, and in the water!

Red King

I just set the wings on this, so the head is not yet finished.  What I have been working on is getting the schlappen body hackle to look less matted, and not too thick (a matter of preference to each, I suppose).  Employing the technique of Dec Hogan in thoroughly wetting the feather with saliva and then working the fibers apart (I use a brush to help with the job), I am getting more of the look that I want out of these feathers.

In setting the wings, I employ a couple of techniques.

1. Matching strips of bronze mallard, cupped slightly, and applied as a single unit.  Taking care to spread the wing out across and slightly around the shank and not bunch it in at the tie in point is the key for me when I employ this winging method.

2. Apply the strips of mallard one at a time.  When using this method I apply the far side wing first, holding it with a couple of loose wraps.  Then, I apply the near side wing using the far side as a brace.  They key to this method for me is to really having thread control and use just enough pressure to move the wing into place and not pinch it too much tying it in.  Once in place, you can then push down on the slips a bit and spread them across and slightly around the hook shank. Then secure your wing with a few tight turns of thread.

I strive for having the wing closely hugging the body with a slight curve downward to the body.  It does not extend much past the body.

Here’s a view of the top of the fly:

Here is a Silver Speal, with a view from underneath the fly, showing the width of the wing and how it envelops the body:

An evening’s work…

Want to Trade?

Anybody interested in trading flies?  Want to share a unique pattern or two?  A streamer? A favorite trout, steelhead or salmon fly?   I enjoy seeing flies from all over the country (and world), particularly local favorites that may not get the pub of the ‘latest and greatest’ patterns hyped by the fly fishing press.  Of course, I also like to see the latest and greatest patterns hyped by the fly fishing press!

I’ve had wonderful exchanges with tyers over the years, from some really sweet flatwing streamers from Rhode Island, a beautiful Balmoral Dee, countless trout and steelhead fishing flies to a full-dress Jock Scott tied on a big stainless circle hook!  Streamers, emergers, wet flies, tubes, dries, Waddingtons, doubles, etc……you name it.  I love them all.  Nothing better than getting a “present” in the mail and enjoying other tyers’ handiwork.

Fly tyers are a great bunch of people, willing to share with one another techniques, materials, patterns, and everything that fires us up about this hobby.  So if you’re interested at all in a trading a fly or two, drop me an email at nwflytyer@gmail.com.

-Monte

The Black Prince

The Black Prince

When I first started dressing Atlantic Salmon flies, I was both captivated and intimidated by topping wing flies such as the Black Prince.  Stacking multiple toppings at the head of the fly and finishing it off without the head being of huge proportions seemed impossible.  The crests would surely splay all over the place and have to be held together with superglue or something!

But over the years of participating in tying classes, talking with friends and mentors, and reading the masters’ books (Kelson, Pryce-Tannatt, Taverner, et al), I have gained a little confidence and picked up a few tricks along the way.   A Black Prince, a Duchess, a Spirit Fly (to name but a few) … all interesting and beautiful patterns that are a challenge to tie and add a different look to the collection.

Here’s the recipe for the Black Prince (J.P. Traherne, pattern as per Kelson):

Tag:  Silver twist and dark yellow silk

Tail:  A topping

Butt:  Black ostrich herl

Body:  Three equal sections of silver tinsel (flat) butted above and below, with two black feathers (back-to-back) from the nape of the Indian crow, and black ostrich herl

Wings:  Five or six toppings

Horns:  Blue macaw

Head:  Black ostrich herl

This fly is tied on a Gaelic Supreme Harrison Bartleet #4/0 hook.  I substituted melanistic pheasant feathers for the Indian crow body veilings.   A few tips that might help someone looking to venture into tying this type of fly:

1. Attach you gut loop along the sides of the shank, rather than beneath it, to create a wider “platform” to which to apply your toppings.

2. Size your toppings carefully, meaning size them so that the tie-in point of each is at the base of the crest.  This area is softer than the much harder, slicker areas higher up the crest.

3. Needle nose pliers or hemostats are your friend

4. Feel free to tie in multiple crests at once.

5. Leave room for the ostrich herl at the head and try to leave this area relatively clear of materials so that your not trying to wind the herl over a bulky, blocky mess.