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Halford

Started by Traditionalist, October 27, 2011, 11:27:34 AM

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Traditionalist









  (Experimental Enhance)

Traditionalist

"Floating Flies and how to Dress Them" a treatise on the most modern methods of dressing artificial flies for trout and grayling (1886)Frederic Michael .Halford 1844-1914

LIST OF ARTIFICIAL FLIES.

1. ROUGH OLIVE.
Wings. Dark starling.
Body. Heron herl, dyed in No. II., ribbed with fine gold wire.
Hackle and Whisk. Dyed in No. III.
Hook, o or oo.

A very good pattern of the earliest spring olive dun, and for a variety may be winged with pale coot.

2. INDIA-RUBBER OLIVE.
Wings. Medium starling.
Body. A thin slip of india-rubber ribbed with fine gold wire.
Hackle and Whisk. Dyed in No. II.
Hook, o, oo or ooo.

This is one of Mr. H. S. Hall's patterns, and a very good dressing of the April tint of olive dun, the india-rubber body being particularly effective in appearance.

3. DETACHED OLIVE.
Wings. Medium or light starling.
Body. A thin slip of india-rubber, worked over an undyed doubled bristle.
Hackle and Whisk. Dyed in No. II.
Hook, o, oo or ooo.

For darker tints, dye the bristle in No. II. and the hackle and whisk in No. III., winging with medium or dark starling. Probably the best imitation of the natural olive extant, but very difficult and troublesome to dress.

4. DARK OLIVE QUILL.
Wings. Dark or medium starling.
Body. Peacock quill, dyed in No. I.
Hackle and Whisk. Dyed in No. III.
Hook, o, oo or ooo.

5. MEDIUM OLIVE QUILL.
Wings. Light starling.
Body. Peacock quill, dyed in No. VIII.
Hackle and Whisk. Dyed in No. II.
Hook, o, oo or ooo.

6. PALE OLIVE QUILL.
Wings. Palest starling.
Body. Quill from young starling wing or pale condor, dyed slightly in No. VIII.
Hackle and Whisk. Very slightly dyed in No. II.
Hook, oo or ooo.

Nos. 4, 5, and 6 are considered by many anglers a sufficient variety of the different shades of olive dun throughout the year, and either of them can, for a variety, be dressed with a flat gold tag, or the bodies ribbed with fine gold wire. On some rivers the darker shades of olive quill are winged with pale coot, or snipe, in place of starling.


PALE OLIVE DUN.
Wings. Pale starling.
Body. Pale yellowish olive floss silk, ribbed with fine white silk or, better still, white hair, that from the Polar bear being the very best.
Hackle and Whisk. Dyed in No. II.
Hook, o, oo or ooo.


8. HARE'S EAR QUILL.
Wings. Pale or medium starling.
Body. Peacock quill, dyed in No. VIII.
Legs. Hare fleck (from outside shoulder of the hare).
Whisk. White or pale yellow cock's beard
hackle, dyed in No. II.
Hook, o, oo or ooo.

A very good summer pattern of pale olive. In dressing this fly, wing as usual : spin the hare fleck between, the ends of a short length of pale yellow tying-silk, as previously described (p. 12), fasten this to the shank of the hook like an ordinary hackle, then proceed to bind in whisk and quill for body ; work and fasten in body, hold- ing the hare-fleck hackle in the pliers ; take three or four turns of it at shoulder close behind the wings ; secure the end of this imitation hackle, carry tying-silk between the turns of it to the head ; where finish and varnish. Arrange, and if necessary, pick out the hare-fleck with the dubbing- needle to form legs.

9. DRAKE'S EXTRACTOR.
Wings. Light starling.
Body. Pale yellow olive floss silk, ribbed with fine gold wire.
Hackle. Carried down the entire length of the body, from shoulder to tail ; a white cock's hackle, dyed in No. I.
Whisk. Cock's beard hackle, dyed in No. I.
Hook, o, oo or ooo.

This fly was invented by, and named after the late Mr. Drake, a celebrated Hampshire amateur.

10. WHITCHURCH.
Wings. Pale starling.
Body. Primrose floss silk.
Plackle and Whisk. Pale sandy ginger.
Hook, o, oo or ooo.

A favourite fly with the members of the Whitchurch Club, and a successful example of the pale olive or yellow dun. I am indebted to Messrs Eaton and Deller for this pattern.

11. FLIGHT'S FANCY.
Wings. Palest starling.
Body. Very pale yellow floss silk, ribbed with fine flat gold.
Hackle and Whisk. Pale buff Cochin cock hackle, or pale honey dun for a variety.
Hook, o, oo or ooo.

This pattern, originated by and named after Mr.Flight of Winchester, kills well throughout the hot weather, but is specially useful during the rise of May-Fly, when a pale delicate dun of this colour is generally on the water, and at times is taken even in preference to the May-Fly itself.

12. GOOSE DUN.
Wings. Palest starling.
Body. A single strand from plume of a grey goose pinion feather slightly dyed in No. II., and ribbed with fine gold wire. dyed light in No. I.
Hook, oo or ooo.

This is Major Turk's rendering of the palest of olive duns.

13. DETACHED IRON. BLUE.
Wings. Tom-tit tail.
Body. A thin slip of india-rubber, worked on a doubled bristle fully dyecl in Crawshaw's " Purple."
Hackle and Whisk. Dark honey dun.
Hook. oo.

14. IRON BLUE, A.
Wings. Tom-tit tail.
Body. Peacock quill dyed in No. VI., or a strip of the quill from one of the outside small feathers of a Coot wing, which will be found to be exactly the right shade.
Hackle and Whisk. Dark blue Andalusian.
Hook. oo.

15. IRON BLUE, B.
Wings. Tom-tit tail.
Body. Pale mole fur, ribbed with yellow silk.
Hackle and Whisk. Honey dun.
Hook. oo.

16. IRON BLUE, C.
Wings. Tom- tit tail.
Body. Peacock quill dyed in No. III.
Hackle and Whisk. Dyed in No. III.
Hook. oo.

Tom-tit feathers are most difficult to obtain, and hence as a substitute a dark starling wing feather dyed in No. VII. may be used for the wings of any of the iron blues.

Nos. 13, 14, 15 and 16 are all excellent patterns of the Spring iron blue dun, a fly which is usually taken by the trout in preference to any other in streams where it hatches in any quantity. No. 16 must not be confused with the blue-winged olive, No. 36, which is essentially an evening fly during the late summer and early autumn, and much larger than any iron blue.


17. ADJUTANT BLUE.
Wings. Medium starling, or pale coot.
Body. A strand from the pinion or tail feather of an Adjutant.
Hackle and Whisk. Blue Andalusian.
Hook, oo or ooo.

The strand of Adjutant is stripped on one edge only, by tearing down the longer flue with the thumb and forefinger of the left hand. If not procurable, a strip of quill from the pinion feather of an oldish starling can be substituted, although not so good an imitation as the Adjutant. This is the October tint of iron blue.

18. BLUE QUILL.
Wings. Light starling.
Body. Peacock quill undyed.
Hackle and Whisk. Pale blue dun.
Hook, o, oo or ooo.

For a change, dress with very pale honey dun hackle an old favourite with dry-fly fishermen. It is a winged example of the celebrated Devonshire " Blue Upright."

19. BLUE DUN.
Wings. Light starling, or snipe, for a change.
Body. Pale mole fur, or fur from a water- rat, spun on primrose silk.
Hackle and Whisk. Pale blue dun.
Hook, o, oo or ooo.

This well-known pattern is given, although the majority of modern Anglers prefer the variety of the same fly previously given, No. 18, the disadvantage of dubbing bodies being the difficulty experienced in drying them after being once thoroughly sodden.

20. AUTUMN DUN.
Wings. Snipe.
Body. Heron herl undyed.
Hackle and Whisk. Palest blue dun.
Hook, oo or ooo.

This is the dressing of the pale blue dun, so frequently seen during the autumn.

21. GOLDEN DUN.
Wings. Pale coot.
Body. Flat gold.
Hackle and Whisk. Dark blue Andalusian.
Hook, oo or ooo.

Very successful with both trout and grayling when feeding on " smuts," as the various shades of black gnat and midge are frequently styled.

22. HARE'S EAR.
Wrings. Pale starling.
Body. Pale primrose silk.
Legs. The lightest fur from a hare's face spun on pale yellow tying-silk,and worked as a hackle.
Whisk. Four or five strands of a ginger cock's-beard hackle.
Hook, o, oo or ooo.


Ogden's original pattern.

23. GOLD- RIBBED HARE'S EAR.
Wings. Medium or pale starling.
Body and Legs. The body is formed of dark fur from a hare's face, ribbed with fine flat gold, and the hare's fur picked out at shoulder to form legs.
Whisk. Red cock's beard hackle.
Hook, o or oo.

This is probably the most killing pattern of the present day in the Test and other chalk-streams ; in fact, one of the most skilful and successful anglers in the county of Hants scarcely ever uses any other dun, from the opening of the season in March until the closing of the river. It is equally efficacious for trout and grayling.

24. SALTOUN.
Wings. Palest starling.
Body. Black silk, ribbed with silver wire.
Hackle and Whisk. Pale ginger cock.
Hook, oo or ooo.

A very useful summer fly, invented by and named after the late Lord Saltoun, a prominent member of the old Stockbridge Club.

25. RED QUILL.
Wings. Pale or medium starling.
Body. Peacock quill dyed in No. IX.
Hackle and Whisk. Red game cock.
Hook, o, oo or ooo.

A larger size, dressed on a No. 2 hook, is found very killing just after dusk. This pattern is a great improvement on the old-fashioned red quill, with body of undyed peacock, and, for a variety, can be made with the addition of a flat gold tag. The red quill is one of the sheet anchors of a dry-fly fisherman on a strange river, when in doubt.

26. RED SPINNER.
Wings. Honey dun cock-hackle points.
Body. Peacock or Adjutant quill dyed in No. IX. and ribbed with fine gold wire.
Hackle. Black butted red game cock.
Whisk. From a pale cream-coloured Dorking cock hackle.
Hook, o, oo or ooo.


Mr. Marryat's well-known pattern.

27. DETACHED RED SPINNER.
Wings. Honey dun cock-hackle points.
Body. Foundation of doubled bristle dyed in No. IX. ; white horsehair also dyed in No. IX., worked over this foundation, and the body ribbed with crimson tying- silk.
Hackle. Red game cock.
Whisk. Pale cream colour.
Hook, o, oo or ooo.
An improvement on No. 26.

28. CLARET SPINNER.
Wings. Pale starling.
Body. Claret floss silk ribbed with fine gold wire.
Hackle. Red game cock.
Whisk. Pale cream colour.
Hook, o, oo or ooo.


Nos. 26 and 27 are evening patterns of the red spinner, but in the early morning, especially in hot weather, the claret spinner will frequently be found a more killing fly.

29. GINGER QUILL.
Wings. Palest starling.
Body. Peacock quill dyed very slightly in No. IX.
Hackle and Whisk. Pale brown ginger.
Hook, o, oo or ooo.

A very good dressing of the pale tints of dun so prevalent during the hot weather.

30. BADGER QUILL.
Wings. Pale starling.
Body. Black quill from chaffinch tail.
Hackle. Badger cock (dark brown, nearly black centre, and cream-coloured points).
Whisk. Pale cream colour.
Hook, oo or ooo.

This is probably taken for the very dark, nearly black spinner, occasionally out in. the evenings at the end of April and later in the season.

31. WICKHAM.

Wings. Medium or light starling.
Body. Flat gold ribbed with fine gold wire.
Hackle. Bright red Bantam cock carried from shoulder to tail.
Whisk. From bright red Bantam cock's beard hackle.
Hook, o, oo, or ooo.

In dressing this and the succeeding fly, No. 32, wing as usual, secure root-end of hackle, tie in whisk, then fasten in flat gold for body, and gold wire for ribbing ; carry the tying-silk to shoulder, form, and fasten in the flat gold body. Turn the hackle two or three turns close behind the wings, and carry it in open, regularly-spaced coils to tail-end of the fly, where secure it with two turns of the gold wire ; rib up the body with the gold wire between the turns of hackle to head, where fasten in the wire ; finish and varnish as usual. This most useful fly, if dressed by the above improved method, will last out three or four of the ordinary shop flies, in which the extreme ends of the hackle only are secured.

32. PINK WICKHAM.
Wings. Landrail.
Body. Hackle whisks and hook as No. 31,

A most successful pattern for " smutting " fish when dressed on very small hooks, oo or ooo.

33. CINNAMON QUILL.
Wings. Pale starling.
Body. The root-ends of some strands of peaock herl when stripped are exactly this colour, but if such are not procurable, bleach an ordinary peacock eye in Dioxide of Hydrogen, and dye it
slightly in No. IX.
Hackle and Whisk. Pale sandy ginger.
Hook, o or oo.

This is one of the many brown-tinted autumn or winter duns, and for a variety can be dressed with pale coot wings. It is essentially a grayling fly for August, September, and even October.

34. INDIAN YELLOW.
Wings. Inside grouse wing from a young bird or pale coot.
Body. Floss silk about the colour of natural Russia leather, ribbed with bright lemon-coloured tying-silk.
Hackle and Whisk. Pale buff - coloured Cochin cock.
Head. Three or four turns of orange tying- silk.
Hook, o or oo.

Mr. Aldam's pattern, and an excellent one, especially for grayling.

35. LITTLE MARRYAT.
Wings. Palest starling.
Body. Fur from flank of the Australian opossum.
Hackle and Whisk. Pale buff Cochin cock.
Hook, oo or ooo.

Mr. Marryat's imitation of the pale watery dun prevalent in August, September, and October.

36. BLUE-WINGED OLIVE.
Wings. Pale coot.
Body. Peacock quill dyed in No. II.
Hackle and Whisk. Dyed in No. II.
Hook, o or oo.

This dun hatches chiefly in the evenings during the latter part of July, August, and occasionally even September.

Nos.1 to 36 inclusive are upright winged duns.

37. HACKLE RED SPINNER.
Hackle. Honey dun cock over three or four turns of black ostrich at shoulder.
Body. Peacock or Adjutant quill dyed in No. IX., ribbed with fine gold wire.
Whisk. Pale cream colour.
Hook, o or oo.

38. BROWN BADGER.
Hackle. Badger cock.
Body. Peacock quill dyed in No. IX.
Whisk. Pale cream colour.
Hook, o or oo.

Nos. 37 and 38 are two of Mr. Marryat's patterns of red spinner.


39. DETACHED BADGER.
Hackle. Badger cock.
Body. White horsehair dyed in No. IX. worked over a foundation of doubled bristle also dyed in No. IX., and the body ribbed with crimson tying-silk.
Whisk. Pale cream colour.
Hook, o or oo.

Without wishing to appear egotistical, I consider this the best imitation yet produced of the red spinner.

40. OLIVE BADGER.
Hackle. Badger cock.
Body. Peacock quill dyed in No. II. with flat gold tag.
Whisk. Pale cream colour.
Hook, o or oo.
The dressing of the olive spinner.

41. JENNY SPINNER.
Hackle. Badger cock.
Body. Detached of white horsehair worked on undyed bristle, with four or five turns of crimson tying-silk at both ends.
Whisk. Pale cream colour.
Hook, oo or ooo.


Mr. H. S. Hall's original pattern of the "Jenny Spinner " was dressed with this body, and winged with palest silvery dun hackle-points, but I prefer the buzz form with badger hackles for all spinners.

42. HACKLE OLIVE QUILL.
Hackle. Pale silvery dun cock.
Body. Peacock quill dyed in No. VIII.
Whisk. White cock's-beard hackle dyed in No. II.
Hook, o or oo.

This is the olive quill dressed " buzz." The colour of body can be varied by dyeing in Nos.I., II., or III., and using a darker dun hackle according to the shade of the body.

43. HACKLE BLUE QUILL.
Hackle. Pale honey dun cock.
Body. Undyed peacock quill.
Whisk. From honey dun cock's beard - hackle.
Hook, o or oo.
Similar to the Devonshire " Blue Upright."

44. GRIZZLY BLUE.
Hackle. Grizzled blue cock.
Body. Pale mole fur spun on pale yellow silk.
Hook, 1 , o or oo.

45. HACKLE HARE'S EAR.
Hackle. Pale blue dun cock.
Body. Dark fur from hare's face ribbed with fine flat gold.
Whisk. From red cock's beard hackle.
Hook, o or oo.

The hackle tying of the " Gold- Ribbed HaresEar."

46. HACKLE IRON BLUE.
Hackle. Dark blue dun cock.
Body. Quill split from feather of old starling or coot wing.
Whisk. From dark blue dun cock's beard hackle.
Hook. oo.

47. NEEDLE BROWN.
Hackle. Honey dun cock.
Body. Orange tying-silk.
Tag. Very pale primrose floss silk.
Hook, oo Long.

Mr. Marryat's imitation of the female " Needle Brown," the tag representing the eggs.

48. LITTLE CHAP.
Hackle. Pale blue dun cock.
Body. Copper-coloured peacock herl.
Hook, o or oo.


49. YELLOW BUMBLE.
Hackle. Pale blue dun cock.
Body. Primrose floss silk ribbed with strand of peacock sword-feather.
Hook, o Long or oo Long.

50. ORANGE BUMBLE.
Hackle. Honey dun cock.
Body. Orange floss silk ribbed with a strand of peacock sword-feather, and with fine flat gold.
Hook, o Long or oo Long.

51. CLARET BUMBLE.
Hackle. Medium blue dun cock.
Body. Claret floss silk ribbed with a strand of peacock sword-feather.
Hook, o Long or oo Long.
Nos. 49, 50 and 51 are invaluable patterns for hot weather, and good killers for grayling through-
out the autumn in fact, the " Orange Bumble " has proved so successful on the Test that many
prominent anglers in that part of the country usually style it the " Priceless Bumble"

52. FURNACE.
Hackle. Furnace or Coch-y-bonddhu (centre and extreme points black, and remainder of hackle blood red).
Body. Orange floss silk ribbed with a strand of peacock sword-feather, and with fine flat gold.
Hook, o Long or oo Long.
A very favourite hot-weather pattern.

53. CORKSCREW. .
Hackle. Brown ginger cock.
Body. The quill of a red-brown partridge tail-feather from which the plume has been entirely cut away with scissors.
Hook, i, o, or oo.

Before using the quill for the body, flatten it well by drawing it backwards and forwards between the thumb-nail and forefinger. In small streams or coloured water it is considered irresistible by Mr. Marryat, to whose inventive genius this pattern is due.

54. SANCTUARY.
Hackle. Coch-y-bonddhu.
Body. Dark hare's-ear ribbed with fine flat gold.
Hook. 2, 1, or o.
The invention of Dr. Sanctuary, of Salisbury.

55. GREEN INSECT.
Hackle. Pale blue dun.
Body. Two or three strands of peacock sword-feather twisted together.
Hook, o or oo.


A very useful grayling fly in the late autumn and winter.

56. RED TAG.
Hackle. Blood-red game cock.
Body. Copper-coloured peacock herl, two or three strands twisted together.
Tag. Ibis or scarlet wool.
Hook, o or oo.

A grand grayling pattern when fished dry, especially in hot weather ; for a variety, dress with silvery dun cock hackle. A new and very killing pattern of the Red Tag, dressed with blood-red hackle, Ibis tag, and body of a single strand of the blue and yellow macaw tail-feather has been lately introduced by Mr. Marryat.

57. ORANGE TAG.
Hackle. Blood-red game cock.
Body. Two or three strands of peacock sword-feather twisted together and ribbed with fine flat gold.
Tag. Indian crow or orange wool.
Hook, o or oo.
A variety of No. 56.

58. HALF STONE.
Hackle. Honey dun cock.
Body. Lower half of primrose floss silk, upper half of pale mole fur.
Hook, 1 Long or o Long. The hackle in this fly is carried down as far as the mole fur dubbing.

59. COCH-Y-BONDDHU.
Hackle. Coch-y-bonddhu.
Body. Of two or three strands copper-coloured peacock herl twisted together.
Hook. 2, 1, o or oo.
For a change, rib the body with flat gold.

60. HACKLE RED ANT.
Hackle. Honey dun.
Butt. Copper-coloured peacock herl.
Body. Orange tying-silk.
Hook, o or oo.

61. GRANNOM LARVA.
Wing. A very small piece of the point of a brown partridge hackle.
Hackle. Rusty dun.
Body. Formed by working over the shank of the hook a foundation of pea-green floss silk, and ribbing it with a strand of peacock quill dyed in No. V.
Hook,1 .

For many years the trout at Houghton have fed ravenously on the larva of the grannom, but neglected the fully developed fly, and, after many unsuccessful attempts, this pattern was at last produced by copying the grannom larva taken from the stomach of a fish in 1884.

62. GRANNOM.
Wings. Palest hen partridge wing.
Eggs. Grey ostrich herl dyed in No. V.
Body. Dark heron herl undyed.
Hackle. Rusty dun game-cock, or badger for a variety.
Hook. 3, 2, or 1.

An even better body for this fly is obtained by selecting a strand of condor pinion-feather, which is nearly white at the point and shading into a dark slate-colour at the root ; the longer flue is then stripped off the dark portion of this strand only, and the whole dyed in No. V. The light unstripped part, which shows distinctly the green colour of the dye, is worked at the tail-end to form the eggs, and the darker portion the body of the fly. The wings of the grannom when first hatched are quite pale, but darken considerably from exposure to the air. The trout, however, invariably prefer the newly-hatched flies, so that it is most necessary to dress them with the palest wings possible.

63. ALDER.
Wings. Hen pheasant tail.
Hackle. Rusty black cock.
Body. Copper-coloured peacock-herl.
Hook. 2, 1, or o.
For a change, wing with bustard. This fly is too well known and appreciated to need any comment.

64. WELSHMAN'S BUTTON.
Wings. Brown pink feather from under the wings of a peacock.
Hackle. Rusty black cock.
Body. Copper-coloured peacock herl.
Hook. 3, 2, or 1.

This fly is usually on the water during the same period as the May-Fly, but hatches earlier in the day, when the imitation is found most killing, and sometimes the fish take it in preference to the May- Fly, even during the heaviest of the rise.

65. COWDUNG.
' Wings. Landrail.
Hackle. Ginger cock.
Body. Dubbing of crewel to tint.
Hook. 2 or 1i.
Occasionally very killing, especially on rough and blustery days.

66. RED ANT.
Wings. Pale starling.
Hackle. Red game cock.
But. Copper-coloured peacock herl.
Body. Orange tying-silk.
Hook, o or oo.


One of the very best patterns for both trout and grayling during the daytime in the hottest weather, and one which is too often neglected by dry-fly fishermen.

67. BLACK ANT.
Wings. Pale starling.
Hackle. Cock starling.
But. Black ostrich.
Body. Black tying-silk.
Hook, o or oo.

It is, to our mind, very questionable whether this pattern is not taken by the fish for two black gnats in the act of sexual intercourse.

68. FISHERMAN'S CURSE A.
Wings. Palest starling.
Hackle. Cock starling.
Body. Strand of cock golden pheasant tail.
Hook. ooo.
Mr. Marryat's pattern.

Nos. 61 to 68 inclusive are flat-winged flies.

69. FISHERMAN'S CURSE B.
Hackle. Badger, over three turns of black ostrich worked at shoulder.
Body. Black tying-silk with flat silver tag.
Hook. ooo.
Sir Maurice Duff-Gordon's pattern.


70. BLACK GNAT A (MALE).
Wings. Palest starling.
Body. Black quill from chaffinch tail-feather.
Hackle. Cock starling worked in front of wings.
Hook. oo.

71. BLACK GNAT B (FEMALE).
Wings. Starling tail ; select the part of the feather with well-defined light brown tip.
Body. Black quill from chaffinch tail-feather.
Hackle. Cock starling worked in front of wings.
Hook. oo.

The wings of the female black gnat are longer than those of the male.

72. BLACK GNAT C.
Wings. One strip of prepared pike-scale cut to shape.
Body. Hackle.and Hook > As No. 71.
Mr. H. S. Hall's pattern.

73. SILVER SEDGE.
Wings. Landrail.
Body. White floss silk ribbed with fine silver wire.
Hackle. Pale sandy ginger cock hackle, carried right down the body.
Hook, o to 3.

In hot weather, this pattern dressed on a oo hook, kills very well during the afternoon, especially when the fish are feeding on the " Fisherman s Curse"

74. ORANGE SEDGE.
Wings. Landrail.
Hackle. Ginger cock, carried right down body.
Body. Orange floss silk, ribbed with fine gold wire.
Hook, o to 3.

Or, for a variety, this can be dressed with a brown hare's-ear body in place of the floss silk.

75. DARK SEDGE.
Wings. Cock pheasant wing.
Hackle. Rusty coch-y-bonddhu carried right down the body.
Body. Dubbing of white crewel ribbed with gold wire.
Hook, o to 3, or even larger occasionally.
Usually known at Houghton as Mr. Hambrough's Sedge.

76. HAMMOND'S ADOPTED.
Wings. Woodcock wing.
Hackle. Brown ginger cock carried right down the body.
Body. Dubbing of brown crewel to shade, ribbed with gold wire.
Hook. 2 to 4.

The late John Hammond's famous Winchester pattern.

77. ARTFUL DODGER.
Wings. Cock pheasant wing.
Hackle. Blood-red cock carried right down the body.
Body. Dubbing of purple crewel to shade ribbed with gold wire.
Hook. 2 to 4.

For a variety, dress with dark sage-green dubbing body. A good killer during the May- Fly, both for day and evening.

78. COACHMAN.
Wings. White Swan or any other white feather.
Hackle. Red cock.
Body. Copper-coloured peacock herl.
Hook, 1 to 4.
A good night pattern.

79. HARLEQUIN.
Wings. From jay wing.
Hackle. Black cock
Body. Lower half orange floss silk, upper half blue floss silk, the whole body ribbed with gold wire.
Hook, o to 3.

An old-fashioned pattern, which might with advantage be used by the modern school of Anglers,especially for evening fishing.

80. GOVERNOR.
Wings. Woodcock.
Hackle. Ginger cock.
Tag. Primrose floss silk.
Body. Copper-coloured peacock herl.
Hook, o to 3.

8 1. LARGE WICKHAM.
Wings. Jay.
Hackle. Red game cock carried right down body.
Body. Flat gold ribbed with gold wire.
Hook. 2 to 4.

Although usually called a Wickham, of which it is a sort of magnified edition, this is really a form of large Sedge fly, and should only be used at night.

Nos. 70 to 81 inclusive are flat winged flies.

GREEN DRAKES.
The following patterns of Green Drakes and Spent Gnats, or Black Drakes, should all be dressed on No. 2, 2 long, 3, 3 long, 4, or 4 long hooks.


A. Wings. Canadian Summer or Wood Duck.
Head. Bronze peacock herl.
Hackles. The first a hen pheasant dyed in No. II., and the second a good blue Andalusian cock.
Whisk. Four or five strands of Brown Mallard wing-feather.
Body. Detached, of white horsehair over wheaten straw or cigarette maize, worked on a doubled undyed bristle, and the body ribbed with well waxed yellow tying-silk.

B. Wings. Canadian Summer or Wood Duck.
Head. Bronze peacock herl.
Shoulder Hackle, Grey hen dyed slightly in No. II.
Ribbing Hackle. Pale ginger cock.
Body. Straw or maize ribbed with crimson tying-silk.
Whisk. Brown Mallard.

Or, for a variety, instead of carrying the ginger hackle down to the tail-end, turn it at shoulder close behind the grey hen hackle, and rib the body with fine flat gold and with the crimson tying-silk.


C. Wings. Canadian Summer or Wood Duck.
Head. Bronze peacock herl.
Shoulder Hackle. Hen pheasant dyed in No. II.
Ribbing Hackle. Blue Andalusian Cock.
Body. Straw or maize ribbed with pale tying-silk.
Whisk. Brown Mallard.

D. Wings. Rouen Drake, dyed in No. IV.
Head. Bronze peacock herl.
Shoidder Hackle. Grey Partridge, dyed in strong tea.
Ribbing Hackle. Pale ginger cock.
Body. Straw or maize ribbed with crimson tying-silk.
Whisk. Brown Mallard.

E. Wings. Rouen Drake dyed in No. IV.
Head. Bronze Peacock herl.
Hackles. The first a grey partridge dyed in strong tea, and the second a pale ginger cock.
Body. Straw or maize ribbed with fine flat gold and crimson tying-silk.
Whisk. Brown Mallard.

In the Green Drake Patterns D and E, the wings are dyed to the colour of the late John Hammond's " Champion'.' Many fishermen prefer the wings of a greener tint, and certainly in the natural fly they are more decidedly blue green, and less decidedly brown, than the " Champion'' If a small quantity of dye No. I. be mixed with No. IV., this green shade will be obtained, or No. II. is an inter-mediate tint between No. I. and No. IV. As far as killing is concerned, I have found no pattern
with dyed wings so uniformly successful as the " Champion" dressed on a 2 hook, although my personal predilection is for the feathers from the undyed Canadian Summer Duck, a bird, which, un fortunately, is rapidly becoming extinct, owing to the great demand for the barred feathers on the part of the Salmon fly-dressers.

F. Wings. Rouen Drake undlyed.
Head. Bronze peacock herl.
Shoulder Hackle. Hen pheasant dyed in No. II.
Ribbing Hackle. Blue Andalusian cock.
Body. Straw or maize ribbed with pale olive tying- silk.
Whisk. Brown mallard.

An endless variety of green drakes can be made with the materials given for the above patterns, some ribbed with tinsel, and both hackles worked close up behind the wings, and others with the cock hackles carried right down body. Wings of Egyptian Goose are also very effective, and, for the shoulder hackles, florican, bittern, &c., can be used.

SPENT GNATS OR BLACK DRAKES.

A. Wings. Of four blue Andalusian cock hackles, set on flat, selecting those with well-defined ginger points.
Head. Bronze peacock herl.
Hackles. The first a grey partridge hackle and the second a good badger (Dorking) cock hackle.
Body. Detached, of white horsehair on foundation of an undyed doubled bristle ; three or four turns of bronze peacock herl are worked on the bristle at the tail- end, under the horsehair, to form the dark ribs at the tail of the natural fly ; the body is ribbed up at intervals with a single turn of pale olive tying-silk.
Whisk. Brown mallard.

B. Wings. Four blue .Andalusian hackles as above.
Head. Bronze peacock herl.
Shoulder Hackle. Grey partridge.
Ribbing Hackle. Badger cock.
Body. White floss silk ribbed with an unstripped strand of peacock, which is cinnamon-coloured at root and dark at point, the dark portion being worked at the tail-end.
Whisk. Brown mallard.

C. Wings. Breast or saddle feathers from the pintail.
Head. Bronze peacock herl.
Shoiilder Hackle. Grey partridge.
Ribbing Hackle. Badger cock.
Body. Of straw or maize ribbed with pale olive tying-silk, and with a strand of peacock herl, cinnamon-coloured at root.
Whisk. Brown mallard.

Dress all Spent Gnats in the following manner : Set on the wings by laying the four hackles horizontally on top of the hook, near the head, two pointing to each side, or the two pintail feathers, one on each side, secured by binding diagonally in both directions with the tying-silk ; turn the root-ends of the four hackles, or the two pintail feathers, back toward the tail-end of the fly and bind them down securely with the tying-silk ; then work on the head, fasten in and turn the shoulder hackle. In the pattern with detached body proceed from this point as usual with that class of fly ; but with other patterns carry the tying-silk to the tail-end of the fly, where secure and set up the whisk, lap the silk back to the shoulder, fasten in the floss silk for the body ? the peacock herl for ribbing with the light end at the shoulder and the root-end of the ribbing hackle, carrying the tying-silk back to the tail-end ;work down the body, securing it at the tail, and cutting off refuse ; rib the body in regularly spaced open folds with the herl, which fasten in at tail, and cut away any remnant ; turn hackle two or three turns close up to and behind the wings, and then in open folds down to the tail, each fold immediately in front of and against the projecting ribs of the herl ; secure end of hackle with two laps of the tying-silk, finish at tail with whip finish, and touch with varnish.

Traditionalist

Quote from: col on October 27, 2011, 12:27:41 PM
Halford must have had a pony to carry his flee box, some nice looking old dressings,  a lot of these patterns look the same. Was there any huge benefit  of carrying them all , or was a lot off it in his head, ie feeling at a disadvantage by perhaps not having a fly two shades lighter then the one on his cast?  Did he catch anymore fish than   the gp fly user such as a greenwells or grey duster? One thing i think ive worked oout is he seemed more interested with size ,colour-shade and maybe silhouette, rather  than posture and behaviour.

There has been endless discussion on those topics over the years, and Halford is often vilified.  I am mainly concerned with the many positive things he did.  As with all authors etc.  I pick and choose what I need or want. I don't take everything they say as gospel.

TL
MC

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