Jim Warner featherwing and marabou-winged streamers

[Alberto]

After a short break due to a boiler malfunction, I was able to get back to my tying desk to continue tying some older patterns. Living in NH, I decided to tie a few of the streamer patterns created by Jim Warner of Wolfeboro, NH. There is a great article by Mike Martinek on GFF about Jim, I'll put a link to the article (well worth the read) but I also wanted to copy and paste a quote from it that I think summarizes who Jim Warner is:

"One particular individual defined the big lake's (Lake Winnipesaukee) place in New Hampshire history, as well as being a separate wellspring of fly innovations and styles. In the 1950s and '60s the Maine monopoly on trolling streamers was adapted to a different area, with far-reaching results, including the introduction of flies that have produced bountiful rewards. All this was accomplished by a man named Jim Warner."

Here is the link to the full article: http://globalflyfisher.com/streamers/guest/warner/

Below are a few of the patterns, I ended up tying several more but these are the three I liked the best and are now in my fly box:

Guide Special
Body: flat silver tinsel
Throat: blue bucktail
Underwing: red bucktail
Wing: one pair of yellow hackles
Head: black thread



Babb's Ghost
Body: black floss ribbed with flat silver tinsel
Throat: white bucktail, tied long
Underwing: blue bucktail, red bucktail, then yellow bucktail (One recipe I saw also added peacock herl)
Wing: two pairs of dun hackles
Cheeks: silver pheasant body feathers
Eyes: jungle fowl (the recipe I was using did not have these)
Head: black thread



Melvin Bay
Body: oval silver tinsel ribbed with flat silver tinsel (I really like the effect)
Throat: red hackle fibers (I like to use schlappen)
Wing: yellow bucktail, red bucktail, gray marabou
Topping: silver pheasant crest (can be subbed with peacock herl)



The silver pheasant crest was very difficult to find. I found one seller online but they were sold along with a full skin, which I already have. A 2010 post on a blog mentioned a fly shop in Maine. I found their phone number and called them. Initially they did not think they had any left, but found four in a storage box. This is the first time I used this material and I really like it. Visually, it looks just like a golden pheasant crest and should be handled and tied in the same manner. Texture-wise, it is completely different. I find golden pheasant to be somewhat stiff, the silver pheasant crests are more supple but still keep their natural curvature. When handling them, they felt more like human hair.

Hope you enjoy these patterns,

Alberto