TYING CATSKILL-STYLE DRY FLIES - Book Review - December 14, 2009

[rtidd]

TYING CATSKILL-STYLE DRY FLIES

Once every few years a very special book comes on the market. In recent years we have had an abundance of fly-fishing books that cover every aspect of the sport of fly-fishing. While many of these books have provide fly-fishers with valuable information about various aspects of the sport many of them have merely been a rehash of what has already been published elsewhere. Tying Catskill-Style Dry Flies is a truly outstanding addition to angling literature, and a substantial contribution to the history of one of the truly special places and special people that have left us a considerable legacy.

[Steven McGarthwaite]

Here are a few of the many Catskill Fly (wet & dry) Patterns, scattered throughout FAOL.


Light Cahill
Dressed by Ron Brown, Montana


Catskill, Dry
Dressed by Tom Deschaine


Catskill, Wet (variation)
Dressed by Ray Bergman


Elsie Darbee Catskill Ties (10 Catskill Fly Patterns)
Dressed by Elsie Darbee
Written by Eric Austin



Cahills - The Rest of the Story
(Light & Dark Cahill - Wet)
Tied by Gerald E. Wolfe

I really love fishing these fly patterns. I will have to check out "Tying Catskill-Style Dry Flies, by Mike Valla. Thank You for the heads - up on this new book!

~Parnelli

[eaustin]

Steven, the Elsie Darbie darby flies were dressed by Elsie. I got the pictures from Terry Hellekson, who in turn got the flies from Glenn Overton's fly collection. Yeah, the Wonder Wax Glenn Overton. He used to hang out at the Darbee's house as a kid.

Here's a tie of mine, a version of the Cross Special, designed by Rube Cross. The fly, according to Rube, was not named after himself, rather the fly is a "cross" between a Hendrickson and a Cahill.


Eric

[Steven McGarthwaite]

Eric: Thank You for the clarification. The old "A**-U-ME", got me again.

~Parnelli

[Lotech]

I've noticed that the hackles and the wings on the patterns shown here are close to twice the hook gap. Is that typical of the Catskill patterns?

[eaustin]

Yes. The Catskill style is different from the "Western" or modern style found in a lot of books. The hackles could get even longer, up to 2 1/2 times the hook gap. There is also an important gap at the front of the fly between the eye and the head, which sets the wing back just a bit. The tails were longer as well, from behind the eye to the end of the bend, not shank length as is typical now. The wings were tall too, something I've never quite fully agreed with, as tall wings make a fly prone to tipping. For my own fishing I don't quite stick to the Catskill standard, tying a more compact dry in the style of Fran Betters.
Eric

[Lotech]

Thanks Eric,
great info.

[wet fly guy]

Got to love the old flys , those wets still take a lot of fish for me.

Wet