Fishing Flies

( Originally Published 1912 )

THE finest and most artistic branch of fishing is the taking of surface-feeding fish by means of the artificial fly. Fly fishing is not of recent origin. We find that this kind of sport was indulged in by the ancient Romans, but it was in England, hundreds of years later that it was developed to its present stand. It is the favorite method of nearly all trout anglers in this country, and is the kind of fishing also employed for the Atlantic salmon, and largely used for the capture of black bass and other fishes of less importance. As practiced in England it is far advanced over our comparatively crude methods used on this side of the water.

Artificial flies are not merely bright colored feathers tied in various combinations to suit the angler's fancy, as many believe, but each fly, with a few exceptions, is an imitation of some insect found on the streams at one time of the year or other, on which the fish feed, or an imitation of a caterpillar or other favorite food. A few, however, have been designed in imitation of nothing living, and have proved good. Because a fish never saw a live insect of just such colors is no reason why he shouldn't bite at it.

There are three game fishes which feed largely on flies and the artificial flies have been designed purposely for the capture of these fishes ; they are the trout, the black bass, and the salmon. Therefore we have trout flies, bass flies and salmon flies, and these answer for all kinds of fish that rise to a fly.

About the only difference between trout and bass flies is the sizes; the same patterns and colors are used for each. The bass flies are sometimes used for large trout.

Flies are known as winged flies, hackles and palmers. The winged flies have one or two pairs of wings, a hackle to represent legs, a body and usually a tail. The hackle has a body and sometimes a tail, and always a hackle tied at the shoulder, but no wings. A palmer has a body with a hackle set in spirally the length of the body. It is made in imitation of a caterpillar. Many anglers call both of these latter "hackles."

The old way and the most common way yet of tying flies is to build the fly on a marked shank hook with a snell of silkworm gut attached, a loop at the end so that it may be quickly and easily attached to the leader. But the "eyed flies," that is flies tied to ringed or eyed hooks, especially to hooks of the Pennell pattern are becoming more and more popular each year. They are tied directly to the end of the leader, which has no loop in this case, by a knot which is explained elsewhere in this book, or they may be tied to a snell which is looped to the end of a leader. If the leader is well softened, and no leader should be used when dry, these eyed flies are as easily attached as the snelled ones. If snelled flies are selected they should have a short extra piece of gut tied into the fly and joined to the snell some distance above the hook. This is called a helper and makes the fly, or the snell rather, last twice as long, for it is at its junction with the hook that the snell breaks. By using eyed flies the leader loop is done away with, and the leader makes Iess commotion on the surface of the water when the fly is cast.

It is since the dry or floating flies came into such general use in England that the eyed fly has become so popular. The dry flies are very small ones, tied on very small hooks — numbers 12, 14 and even as small as 18 and 20. The bodies of these flies are made of cork, or other material to cause them to float, and the leaders are of the finest gut, such delicate tackle that the uninitiated would think it too weak to catch minnows with, yet the largest trout and ouananiche are taken with them when properly handled. The object is to correctly imitate the flies that the fish are feeding on, in size, form and color, and to keep it on the surface of the water like a live fly. For these the looped snells would be bad, as the loops would make as much disturbance of water as the fly itself. Dry flies are not yet much used in this country, but are arousing more interest among the fly fishermen each season.

The ordinary trout flies are tied on numbers 6, 8 and 10 hooks, as a rule. A No. 8 Sneck or Sproat hook is about right for general use. Midge flies as small as the English dry flies are also made in this country and these are very successful in small streams, where the fish are small and shy. They are of the more sombre colored patterns as a rule.

Bass flies are tied on much larger hooks and many believe that they would be better on smaller sizes. For the northern black bass they are usually tied on Nos. 2, 4 and 6 hooks, and No. 4 is most used. For southern waters, where the large mouth bass only are found, and they of very large size, flies are tied on Nos. 1/0, 3/0 and 5/0 hooks. These large sizes are also used in combination with spinners and spoons, for trolling. Sproat hooks are the favorite style for bass flies.

Salmon flies are seldom if ever made to imitate a real live insect. They are tied on single hooks from No. 3/0 to No. 8, and on double hooks from No. 2 to No. 8 in size. Most salmon fishermen prefer the single hooks. Only the finest hooks are used for salmon flies; also the best materials obtainable for bodies, wings, etc. The best flies cost from twenty-five cents to seventy-five cents each. The first-class trout flies cost from $1.00 to $1.50 per dozen; bass flies and the large size trout flies about $2.00 or $2.50 per dozen. Cheap ones made of dyed feathers, etc., may be bought at thirty-five to fifty cents per dozen.

Many anglers now make their own flies and it is pleasant work for winter evenings and bad days. Of materials, feathers of all colors and especially those of waterfowl are used; also fur of moles, mice and rabbits, whiskers of rabbits, silk floss and silk thread, tinsel (gold and silver), worsted yarn of various colors, mohair, seals fur, and for finishing, varnish ; also wax for the silk is needed. These materials as well as hooks and gut, may be purchased from any large dealer. I could not devote space here to telling how to make artificial flies, but can tell of the materials and colors for some of the most popular. If any angler desires to make his own flies, he should purchase an assortment, one of each, and keep them for patterns.

One of the most popular flies for both trout and bass is the Royal Coachman. It is made with a peacock herl body with a band of scarlet silk in the center, the wings of white feather and the hackle a soft rich brown.

The Coachman is made same as the Royal Coachman save that it does not have the scarlet silk center to body, and the body is thick and fluffy. The tag is of silver tinsel, and it has a grey speckled, tail.

The Parmachenee Belle is an imitation of the anal fin of the brook trout, a killing bait for trout, especially for evening fishing, and good also for bass. It has a body of yellow silk, red and white wings, red hackle and red tail.

The Grizzly King is another one that is very good and much used. The body is made of green silk wound with silver tinsel; the wings are of pintail duck feather (gray and white speckled) ; red tail and grizzled hackle. The tag (tip of body next tail) is of gold tinsel.

The Silver Doctor is a gaudy fly, good for trout and bass, and usually costing much more than the other kinds. The body is silver tinsel with a winding of red silk. The tag is red and the tail of a golden pheasant hackle. The wings are made of wild turkey feather in under, wood duck on top and the remainder in mixed red and yellow fronds. The hackle is blue. It is the difficulty of getting materials for this fly that makes it so costly, and it is difficult to make, too.

The Professor is good for bass and trout. The body is of yellow silk wound with gold tinsel; tail of bright red (ibis) ; hackle, brown; wings of pintail duck.

The Montreal, also good for both fish, has a body of crimson silk wound with gold tinsel; wings brown (turkey's wing) ; scarlet hackle ; tail, ibis; tag, gold tinsel.

The Ibis has ibis (red) wings, hackle and tail, and body of red mohair wound with gold tinsel.

The Brown Hackle has no wings, but the body is made of peacock herl and is draped with a heavy brown hackle.

The Gray Hackle has a body of green silk and a winding of silver tinsel. The hackle is heavy and gray.

I might go on and describe many others but do not think it necessary, for the fly tyer must have a pattern anyway unless he is well acquainted with the fly he wishes to make.

No doubt there is a whole lot of nonsense written and talked regarding fly-making and many anglers think the extreme care and careful selection of colors entirely unnecessary. Some think that the size and shape count for everything and others that it is all in the color. Some others say that neither is particular and that all that is needed is a small bunch of feathers or other material on the hook, just so the colors be bright or sombre as the day and condition of light requires. And to prove that they are right they will tie a piece of feather and a bit of worsted on a hook and catch fish apparently as well as the most scientific angler. It probably depends much on the water, whether it is fished much, etc. In my opinion a fish, if hungry, seldom waits to see the color and form; if he did he would seldom rise to a fly for he would see the hook and leader also, and would notice that it did not appear very lifelike.

Flies are made for bass of deer hair and known as bucktail flies. Their advantage over flies of feathers and fur is that they do not mat when wet, but unless the hair is dyed they can only be made in gray and white or brown Some of them are nicely shaped and others are only heavy hackles. Some of these flies are made with weed guards. These, of course, are large and might properly be classed with artificial baits. The Jamison fly has black head and red body ; hackle of red hair and large wings of single rea feathers ; tail white. Some very large bass have been taken with it.