Gold riibbed hare's ear ~ dry fly (wing testing)

[Steven_McGarthwaite]

Gray Duck Quill Wing Test #1

I think that the Gray Duck Quill Wing is very striking in the photo…

Talked with Eric Austin on the internet about wing possibilities, since the turkey biots were not the answer. Eric told me that Starling wing material would work but it was dicey to work with. Also told me that Teal wing hackle would work also, but did not recommend mallard. Eric also mentions duck quill wings, the fly shop had no teal wings to sell.

I bought some matched gray dyed duck quills, splitting them down he middle of the stem, and dress the above patten. I think it is a wee bit long in the length and might need to remove one or two more quill segments to narrow the wings slightly, with the shorter length…

I also did a water tank test on this fly, dropping the fly from a height of 3 feet above the water, and it landed with the wings in the upright vertical position…collar giving more than enough support.

The tail is another matter, even using the long barbs from a largest rooster hackle on the cape, the tail is not resting on the water surface, and it is not below the water surface, just causing a big indentation in the water surface. Thinking of instead using the stems of from the rooster cape, stripping off all the barbs and using the stems for the tail for a more firm resting on the water surface without a big indentation…

It is not easy trying to make sense of a fly pattern that is over a hundred years old, with terminology that is hard to comprehend. But with the help of the many people I know and respect, I am getting close to a resurrecting this forgotten dry fly, so it will be used on the water as much if not more than the “Adams”, which is basically the same type of dry fly, an “Attractor”!

Just as easy to dress as the “Adams”.

Also bought some Whiting Gray Hen Hackle, that has narrow width to the hen hackle, and long length. These are sized just on the cape almost ready to use once they are plucked off.

So far I have 6 persons that I feel obliged to give credit to, when I write the article for FAOL, for there advise, and filling in some of the missing peices to the mystery of this fly pattern’s history.

~Parnelli

[kbproctor]

Parnelli,

I am lucky enough to be fairly close to Charlie Craven’s shop in Arvada, Colorado. Eric had recommended I check his shop out. Charlie recommended I try goose shoulder for my wings. Lots of nice colors and you do not have to have matched pairs of feathers. You take your slips from the same feather, opposite sides. If you get into the multi colored or married wings and tails, the goose shoulder will marry up to most other feathers much better than duck. I find that the goose crushes cleaner at tie in and the wings are nicer looking for me on both wets and dries.

[JeffHamm]

Hi,

I’ve just had a look into Halford’s book (page 89; pattern number 23), and for those who don’t have a copy (available via archive.org) the Halford patter is:
Wings: medium or pale Starling
Body and Legs: The body is formed of dark fur from a hare’s face, ribbed with fine flat gold, and the hare’s fur picked out at shoulder to form legs.
Whisk: Red cock’s beard hackle.

Halford was the original “Dry Fly Purist”, and he severly critised as unsporting anyone or technique that involved fishing a fly under the water. The above fly was intended to be fished on the surface, so it was the original “no hackle” dry. Remember too, that Halford felt it only sporting to cast to an actively rising fish (so not to sighted fish that were not rising!) and he designed his flies to be immitations of the natural, not to be all day floaters. This pattern he goes on to say was "the most killing pattern of the present day in the Test and other chalk-streams ", and so I think you’re idea of bringing back a lost gem is definately well founded.

Anyway, he recommends this tied quite small (0, and 00, whihc is around a 16) so I think if you have Starling you could use it for the wings no problem. I use Starling for wings and it’s good for small flies.

• Jeff

P.S. Here’s an original that I tried to tie up. Not sure if the thorax, on which it is to float, is quite spikey enough. Probably needs more guard hairs?

[Ron_Eagle_Elk]

Parn,

If you need some starling wings, just let me know. Starling is a favorite hackle and winging material of mine, and I have several skins laying about. Yours for the asking.

REE