"From that September day in 1920 when General Money
fished the Stamp River system for the first time
up to the end of 1925, he often jotted down in his game
book some particulars about the flies he used. Often
those particulars were, however, not sufficient to
dress the patterns. But by examining the many samples
in two of his fly boxes that have survived these many
years for style and composition I was able to put
together a reasonable composite for some of these
unknown-until-this-time Money flies.
Sometimes the General made a specific reference to the fly
he used and names such as his Rainbow, Golden Red, Prawn
and Grey flies can be found in his fame book. However,
many times he listed the general composition and didn't
give a reference name: such is the case with the
Black, Tippet & Yellow. I dressed and named this pattern
after reading about the fly in two of Money's diary entries.
On December 29, 1924, General Money fished Swanson's Run
on the Somass River and took and 11 1/2 pound winter
steelhead. About the fish and fly he says it was "A
grand fish very short & thick, fresh from the sea; blk.
silk body, silver ribbing, red hackle, tippett & yellow
wing, jungle cock cheeks."
On March 2, 1925, the General slipped over the Swanson's again.
This time and 8 3/4 pound winter steelhead was lured to his
black-bodied fly. About the fly the General noted it was
dressed on a 1/0 hook and that it consisted of a "Blk. silk
body, ribbed silver, red hackle, tippet & jungle cock wing."
In one of his fly boxes, I found a tippet-winged pattern
similar, althought not exact to the one I have dressed,
instead of a yellow wing the same has bronze mallard - the
General dressed many patterns with this winging material - and
he used a blue jay throat instead of red.
The Black, Tippet & Yellow is just another sample of
General Noel Money's striking colour combinations:
attractive to the eyes of the fishermen as well as the
fish. It is the first British Columbian steelhead
pattern to incorporate golden pheasant tippet in the
wing.
Black, Tippet & Yellow
Hook: Number 2/0 to 4.
Tag: Oval, silver tinsel.
Body: Black floss.
Rib: Oval, silver tinsel.
Throat: Red hackle.
Wing: Strips of fibres from a golden pheasants
orange tippet feather. [also tail]
[Cheeks: Jungle cock shown.]
Originator: General Noel Money.
Intended Use: Wet fly for winter steelhead.
Location: Somass River."
Credits: Text and Photo from Fly Patterns
of British Columbia by Arthur James Lingren,
Published by Frank Amato Publications. We appreciate
use permission.
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