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?

Catskill

Compiled by Deanna Lee Birkholm
Tie shown is Ray Bergman variation
Louis S. Darling, creator of this fly, was a well-known American fisherman in the early 1900s.

He was a member of the Angler's Club of New York as early as 1906. He participated in numereous casting competitions with creditable showings. In 1916, he was National Dry Fly Casting Champion.

The Catskill combines the outstanding features of the Cahill and the Oak Fly, the wings of the former and the body of the later. Mr. Darling affirmed that, " ood duck wings and orange body will take trout anywhere."

The Catskill is tied:

    Tail: Mallard breast dyed orange or golden pheasant tippet.

    Body: Orange, with gold rib.

    Wing: Lemon wood duck or mallard breast dyed orange.

    Hackle: Brown or light brown.

Credits: Text from Fly Patterns and Their Origins by Harold Hinsdill Smedley, color photo from Forgotten Flies published by Complete Sportsman.

Archive of Old Flies