This fancy fly of broad scarlet ibis wings, with
guinea fowl scopulas, was designed by, and named
after, George Shepard Page, of the Oquossoc Angling
Association of Rangeley, Maine, which he organized
in 1867 and of which he was president for ten
years. It was first tied to Mr. Page's order by
Michael, of Andrew Clerke & Company, about 1860
for use in Rangely waters. It had a yellow body,
red ibis wings and a shoulder bar of wood duck on
each side of the ibis.
Mr. Page, born in Kennebec County, Maine, in 1838,
moved to Chelsea, a suburb of Boston, the same
year, and became a resident of New York City in
1862.
He first went to Rangeley at the invitation of his
cousin, Henry O. Stanley, State Fish Commissioner.
A twelve pound trout caught by him in 1867, largest
on record for years, was exhibited at the Centennial
Exposition at Philadelphia.
He took brook trout eggs to England and France in
1869. They were the first American trout eggs to
cross the ocean.
Mr. Shepard Page was one of the men who organized
the American Fish Culture Association in 1870,
and he served as its president in 1882-3.
Mr. Page was the American Guest of Honor at the 2nd
English Casting Tournament, held at Welch Harp
Fishery, Hendon, in July, 1882.
The fly shown is a tie by Ray Bergman, the recipe
follows:
Tag: Gold tinsel.
Tail: Scarlet.
Body: Crimson or scarlet floss.
Rib: Gold tinsel.
Hackle: Scarlet.
Wing: Guinea with scarlet stripes.
Credits: Text from Fly Patterns and Their Origins by
Harold Hinsdill Smedly, color photos from Forgotten Flies
published by the Complete Sportsman.
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