The Authentic History of the Serendipity

[Silver Creek]

The recent serendipity post reminds me that many of you probably don't know the history of the serendipity. Here is what I read and learned through the years.


The serendipity is credited to Ross Merigold but it goes back further to 1978. The history of the Serendipity was recounted by Patrick Maxon on FF@, the original fly fishing mailing list before there was a WWW and Netscape Navigator. Back then we used to email each other via a mailing list.

You fly fishing history buffs might enjoy this tale of how a group of fly fishers around a campfire on the Madison serendipitously discovered this fly and shared it with Ross Merigold. How appropriate a name.

http://jdunns.dyndns.org/cgi-bin/wr-...fish95:76:4046

Ross Merigold is remembered on this plaque on the Madison just upstream from the Raynold's Pass Bridge .




Jim Greenlee fishing the Ross Merigold Hole. The plaque is on the boulder just behind and a bit upstream of Jim.

[Uncle Jesse]

Thanks for the history lesson and the lesson on fishing the Lil Devil. I had been somewhat intrigued by the Serendipty but was not sure at all about where or when to fish it. Now I'm thinking of some 18's, maybe some 20's for a stretch where there are alway rises and seldom many come to hand.

[planettrout]

Interesting history on this wonderful pattern...Thanks !!!...for sharing...

PT/TB

[Steve Molcsan]

Silver thanks for the lesson also,,

I love it when stuff like this brought to our attention,,,