Welcome to Just Old Flies

Welcome to 'just old flies,' a section of methods and flies that used-to-be. These flies were tied with the only materials available. Long before the advent of 'modern' tying materials, they were created and improved upon at a far slower pace than todays modern counterparts; limited by materials available and the tiers imagination.

Once long gone, there existed a 'fraternity' of anglers who felt an obligation to use only the 'standard' patterns of the day. We hope to bring a bit of nostalgia to these pages and to you. And sometimes what you find here will not always be about fishing. Perhaps you will enjoy them. Perhaps you will fish the flies. Perhaps?

Part One hundred thirty-eight

Professor

Professor

Compiled by Deanna Birkholm
"A professor of Edinburg University, under the pen name of Christopher North designed this fly in the early 1800's. His real name was John Wilson, 1785 - 1854. Supposedly the fly came into being the following way: The professor was out of flies and using a yellow buttercup for a body and a few threads from a sock, he fashioned a yellow bodies fly that took trout. Later the fly was refined and a few materials added for effect. The buttercup yellow body is still with us today 175 years later [at this writing] and still quite a popular fly."

Professor

    Hook:   Mustad #3906 sizes 6-8-10-12-14.

    Thread:   Black silk, monocord or nylon.

    Tail:   Red hackle barbules.

    Body:   Buttercut yellow silk floss.

    Ribbing:   Gold flat tinsel.

    Throat:   Brown hackle barbules.

    Wing:   Mallard flank.

For complete instructions for the Professor, check out Fly of the Week - The Professor.

Credits: Quoted text and recipe from Dick Surette's Trout and Salmon Fly Index published by Stackpole Books. Photo from Forgotten Flies published by Complete Sportsman. ~ DLB

Archive of Old Flies

[ HOME ]

[ Search ] [ Contact FAOL ] [ Media Kit ]

FlyAnglersOnline.com © Notice