Flies tied in Nova Scotia

All about flies Fly Tying
1

Hi,

Well, I’ve recently finished reading “The Tent Dwellers” by Albert Bigalo Paine (sp?). His book was written in 1908, and is about a summer fishing trip he and a friend took to the “wilds” of Nova Scotia, fishing for brook trout. It has been re-released as the 100th anniversary of the book just went by (the author is more famous for his biography of Mark Twain).

Many of the flies he mentions in the book are still popular today in Nova Scotia at least (Silver Doctor, Parmachene Belle, Brown Hackle, Red Tag, Montreal). I’ve seen some of these for sale in shops recently - and it’s winter here!

It’s a very enjoyable read, very entertaining and will appeal to anyone who loves the outdoors.

Anyway, my plug for a good book aside, I picked it up while getting myself stocked with some tying gear. Thought I would share a few of the results.

I call this a “Blue March”, since it’s basically a March Brown, but I’ve used a blue tinsel ribbing, like a Blue Bottle.

This next one is called a Jerry Madiddler. The front hackle is claret. In New Zealand all the claret is very dark, almost purple. I’ve never grown used to it as I’m used to this much more reddish looking colour. I’ve seen the purple version here too (called Dark Claret) and I’ve seen some lighter than this, almost pink.

Here’s a Parmachene Belle. I usually put a red stripe down the middle of the wing, but I’ve seen versions with just the red on the top. I decided to tie a few this way for variety. Another one I tied I used seal’s fur for the body, which makes for a nice buggy looking fly. Might do some more of those. I’ve found the P-Belle to work really well in New Zealand on rainbows as well.

This next one is just one I threw together. The tail and throat are squirrel tail rather than feathers. I tied this before picking up a few more colours of hackle, but I had picked up a small variety pack of squirrel tail dyed different colours. I was pleased with how well it worked as a substitute.

  • Jeff
2

These next two are just a few I tied up to use the Claret feathers more. The gold one (2nd) I was going to do as a “Claret Butcher”, but I didn’t have any of the blue Mallard feathers for the wings (which is the hallmark of the butcher series). Looks fine with the pheasant tail slips, and it gives me an excuse to go back to the shop … :slight_smile:

This is called a Dr. Burke I think. It should have jungle cock eyes as well, but I didn’t pick any up. With the JC eyes, this is a really pretty, elegant fly. Eric covered it in Just Old Flies a while back last year just about the time I saw it in a magazine at my local fly shop in New Zealand. I tied a few up then, but haven’t had a chance to fish them. I have great expectations for this fly though. It just looks like a productive pattern.

Hmmmm, wonder if the driveway needs shovelling again?

  • Jeff
3

Hi Jeff,

Once again, some beautiful work. I have found substituting from some original patterns isn’t always a bad thing as you already know. It’s kinda neat that patterns 100 years old are still as productive today and just as popular. It proves new isn’t always best and some of the old timers are still paving the way for us.

4

Excellent work Jeff, well you have probably guessed
my taste in flies. If you are shovelling the drive,
you must be back in NS, when I look out my window
and see all that horrible white s…tuff, NZ sounds
perfect for February.

5

Nice flies Jeff! I know I still use these older patterns for brook trout here in NS, and many are my go-to patterns, like the Dark Montreal and Silver Butcher.

Thanks for sharing,

Logan

6

Jeff -

Neat flies. Good to see that you are back at it.

John

7

Hi Rookie,

Yah, playing around with the older patterns can pay off big time. A lot of the older wets are still highly productive. Nothing wrong with the new innovations and new synthetic materials, but there’s nothing wrong with the flies from 100+ years ago either. Well, eyes on the hook make things easier! :slight_smile:

  • Jeff
8

Thanks Donald!

And you guessed it. I’m back in NS now. Will be here until mid-March, then heading over to your neck of the woods. Will be staying in Manchester, but plan on making a trip up to Scotland to sight see (Stirling Bridge and Bannochburn). Really looking forward to that. I’m a Cameron and a Byers (family of the Lindsay). that will probably be in April or May.

  • Jeff
9

Hi Logan1193,

Indeed, I’ve had great luck with a “bloody butcher” (basically, same as a butcher, but a red hackle rather than black). Also, the P-Belle was considered by many old-timers to be the best brook trout fly. Similar colour scheme to a Micki Finn (reds and yellows), and that’s a real producer.

  • Jeff
10

Thanks John!

I was getting pretty ichy fingers without some tying gear. I think I’m ok now. Picked up all sorts of colours of thread that I can’t get back in NZ. Fun stuff.

  • Jeff
11

Really nice flies! I have been asked by a guy back home in Michigan to tie up many of the ones you mentioned. He has brookies in the 17-20" range on target for them.

The one thing I am struggling with is tying the turkey wing. Any pointers?

12

Hi Wing.
What cannot you do ?

Jeff, nice work and a heap of ideas come from your flies, for me.

I tie and mainly use wets now.
Kind regards,
UB

13

Thems some nice flies ya got there… looks like older, more traditional paterns what ya dont see a lot of nowadays…

14

Hi Wingsdlc,

I’ll use the term “working hand” for the hand you use to wind your thread. The “helping hand” is the one that you use to hold material to the hook while tying.

Anyway, I’m assuming that you’re having problems with quill wings in general since quill wings, whether turkey or duck or whatever, are all tied in the same way. Turkey tends to be a bit thicker though.

What I do is snip out one slip from a left feather, then snip out the other slip from a right feather (I buy them in matching pairs). Make sure both slips are the same width. If one is a bit narrow, (for some reason, my 2nd slip is always narrower than my first, no matter how hard I try to measure) you can snip a few more fibres from the feather it came from, place them along the edge, and they will zip together. (Congrats, you’ve also just mastered marrying wings to make things like the P-Belle!). Anyway, line up the wing tips and make sure your two slips are aligned top and bottom. Decide on what wing length you want (some like wings longer, some shorter, than the shank, or shank + tail). In your helping hand, hold the two slips along the top of the shank of the hook, making sure they are upright and along the hook. Pinch them firmly, and bring your thread up towards you, over the top and hold it between your fingers (pinch the loop, don’t tie down the slips yet), now bring the bobbin down behind the hook so the thread is straight down. Now, pull the thread straight down while keeping a firm pinch on the sides of the slips. Pull slowly, but steadily, and you should see the slips collapse down (not rotate or fold over on themselves). Keep a close eye on things, if you pinch too tightly, you’ll cut the feathers, but if you pinch too loosely, they fold over. Practice is the key here. Do a couple more pinch loops like this and you’re wing should be tied in. When you trim the waste ends, hold the wing in place. The force of the scissors can twist the wings out of place.

I’m not sure if that’s helpful?

  • Jeff
15

Hi UB,

Thanks. I tend to tie and fish wets (both winged and wingless) the majority of the time. I keep meaning to work on my nymphing and dry fly techniques, but often see a riffle that just calls out for a wee wet and lose myself in the drift.

  • Jeff
16

Thanks bugman,

Yes, these are all old traditional patterns, or my own creations based upon old traditional patterns. They work as well today as any modern flies I’ve tried, so they are no better and no worse. I enjoy tying them, and I like the look of them. Many, as Logan1193 mentioned, are still being fished here in Nova Scotia today. Brook trout love them, and I’ve had good luck with them on the New Zealand rainbows as well.

  • Jeff
17

Jeff,
I use the madiddler a lot in NS too. Sounds like a porn star but it works.
Peter

18

JeffHamm,

That is where my problem is. Most of the time when I try the wing it folds over. I will try the method you suggested and report back.

Thanks so much for the advice!

19

Hi seafoam,

Yes, the Jerry Madiddler does have a rather suspect name, but it’s a great fly. A P-Belle, Montreal, Butcher, and Jerry Madiddler is a really good small box of wets. Gives you a good yellow, dark, flashy, and green fly. Toss in a March brown and a Royal Coachman, for “natural” and “peacock herl attraction”, and you’ve now got a choice half dozen that should, if one could limit themselves to only a few patterns, cover all your wee wet needs.

But, that’s no fun now is it? :slight_smile:

  • Jeff
20

Hi Wingsdlc,

I think that should work. It takes practice, but the trick is to pull straight down to minimize the torque on the feather as you bind it down. Remember, once you pull down, you need to pinch the thread you just tied down and hold it in place as you do the next soft loop. It helps to do each wrap as a touching turn towards the eye rather than all in one place. Tie up a few and you will start to notice the improvement.

  • Jeff