I just received a new book by Mike Valla, The Founding Flies. This Mike’s best effort, IMO, great photo’s and narrative. He traveled across the country researching the old tyers putting this book together. Full of history on the old fly tyers and photo’s of there flies.
If you call Dette Trout Flies today they are haveing a book signing.607 498 4991.
I totally agree. Received mine Thursday and have only had the time to peruse the tyers and great photos of the flies.
Some very significant and revered folks are portrayed with their most memorable fly innovations. Highly recommended!
I was looking through the photos of the early flies tied Eastern style in the book. I am reminded, again, that they used “soft” tailing material so that the tail “bends” rather than poking through the meniscus. This is so different from most current flies with very stiff tails…
That’s all they could get. Hackle for the most part were barn yard chickens raised for food. It really wasn’t until Darby came along and he started to raise chickens for just hackle.
The Dettes in the book by Eric Leiser said at a time when fine stiff hackle was available, that they purposefully selected less stiff fibers for tails for that very resson.
I am looking for the quote, but don’t immediately find it. It could have been in another book about them. Maybe someone could help out on this???
All three of the Dettes were tying as late as 1990. They began using Metz necks in the early 70’s…
The first seminar on trout fishing and fly tying I ever attended was at Unicoi State Park, Don Bartlett was the featured speaker/ instructor. He pulled a rooster skin from his bag of materials, said he had a friend who fought roosters, this had been a loser.
Was impressed enough with Valla’s last book, that his latest is a “must buy” in my mind. Here’s hoping it will be equally impressive.