what's this, then? (classic fly)

[corsican dave]

a mate of mine runs a wee second-hand shop and this turned up in a pile of  vintage tackle. the hook arrangement's interesting. any ideas? I wondered if it was designed to mount a worm on as well  :shock: it's way over fifty years old btw...? your thoughts gentlemen? the basic pattern's an Alexandra, of course (or thereabouts)
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[Wildfisher]

we used to call them Terrors

[Fishtales]

we used to call them Terrors

That was my first thought too.

[corsican dave]

cheers folks! 

[Highlander]

As Fred says they are indeed called Terrors. The Alexandra (Shown) though the hackle was black rather than the blue  was a suggestive Stickleback/Minnow imitation. Most popular was the Teal Blue & Silver which was used exclusively for Sea Trout in tidal water. I still have some somewhere but not been used for many a year. Also have some coloured plates from an old Hardy catalogue one of which shows a selection of these flies including the  Peter Ross version
Tight Lines

[corsican dave]

thanks Alan! 

i'm guessing the upturned hook in the middle  simulates the spines of the stickleback....? :lol:

[Wildfisher]

That's right Dave and the two trebles hanging off the sides represent the gill plates. 

[rannoch raider]

The Rowbank Angling Club used to have a clubhouse where there was an old tying of the Alexandria version mounted on a frame of some sort along with a notice warning that the use of the pattern is banned on their waters, Rowbank and Barcraigs reservoirs, as it was considered 'unsporting'.

[garryh]

that fly with an orange hackle was known as the Mary-Anne terror .an early season favorite on Linlithgow loch when it was brownies only.

Garry

[Highlander]

No I believe they are one in the same. Depending which part of the UK one lives then one or other term would be used. Tandem as you point out is the generic name for this lure type wither two hook three hook or a double hook at rear & a single in front.
Terrors were common on Scottish East Coast rivers. I remember fishing the Ythan  tidal water at Udny Arms Hotel where the locals used a fly called Ythan Lure which was basically a Teal Blue with paired Kingfisher Blue cock hackles as the wing. They were popular in the 60s & 70s but you rarely see them in use today.
Only exception if I am correct was a BRA series of flies (Border River Angling) which was a single in front fused to a double at the rear. Wings in all case were of paired feather tied long of Teal, Bronze Mallard or Butcher Blues. I used them in my youth on the River Leven at night for Sea Trout but in small sizes & invariable the tail double was tipped with a couple of maggot.
They were good hookers in the small sizes but I suspect leverage may well be a problem in longer lengths of fly.
Tight Lines