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?

3-Bar-X

Compiled By James Birkholm
Quoting from Trout Country Flies, "Observing Pott woven nymphs, Laurn Ashliman created this pattern, and offered it from his Rexburg, Idaho shoe store beginning in 1938. His wife Elgarda tied thousands of it. Orginally it was named "3-Bar-X" because of the wing of triple barred tail hair from the Chinese squirrel. China went communist in 1949, and the supply ceased. The Ashlimans changed to domestic squirrel and renamed their fly Bar-X.

3-Bar-X

Originator:  Laurn Ashliman, 1930s.

Hook:  Mustad 9672, or equivalent, size 4 - 6.

Thread:  Black 6/0.

Tail:  Forked from black horse mane hairs.

Body:  Formed by parallel weave of sorrel horse mane dark over light.

Wing:  Red squirrel tail.

Legs:   Black horse mane hair tied on either side below wing and bent to form an "X".

Antennae: Pair of black horse mane hairs.

~ JC

Credits: Quoted portions and photo from Trout Country Flies published by Frank Amato Publications.

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