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?

Bob Slee Special



Compiled by Deanna Birkholm
Here is another fly from Trout Country Flies, From the Greater Yellowstone Area Masters by Bruce Staples.

While we may not know exactly why, the color orange seems to work better than any other on many western rivers.

Quoting Bruce, "Few fly fishers nowdays would choose a mayfly dun pattern with orange the dominant colors. But in a note to J. Edson Leonard for use in Flies, Ruth Evans of the Glen L. Evans Company offers that in the 1940s, this was one of their company's best selling patterns in Idaho. Other than a description in Terry Hellekson's Popular Fly Patterns, little else can be observed in fly fishing literature on origin and use of this pattern."

Bob Slee Special

    Popularized by: Glen Evans, 1930s.

    Hook: Mustad 94840, or equivalent, size 10-14.

    Thread: Orange 6/0.

    Wing: Upright and divided duck quill segments.

    Tail: Orange hackle fibers.

    Rib: Fine gold wire, reversed wrapped.

    Body: Stripped peacock herl.

    Hackle: Orange.

Credits: Photo, recipe and quoted text from Trout Country Flies, by Bruce Staples, Published by Frank Amato Publications.

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