Spawning Purple

[Mice 0]

Hi guys

This fly I tied by Dave McNeese beautiful fly.

Paul

 

tail - oranege/salmon fur

ribbing - oval silver

hackle - magenta and deep purple and guinea in front

wing - purple dyed grizzly hen

[halcyon 0]

Nice looking fly however unless I am very mistaken the Spawning Purple is a John Shewey pattern which has a solid purple wing and a hot red floss body. The Shewey's Spawning Purple wing is interesting because John ties it in four separat segments progressing forward along the body over the front 1/3 of the fly.

[Jaydub 0]

I think you are both right. McNeese also has a pattern called "Spawning Purple". It's listed in Trey Combs "Steelhead Fly Fishing" and Mice's fly looks like a version of that pattern. Shewey's fly is more well known. Notice a pink version in my avatar. It's bugged me because Shewey worked for McNeese and you'd think they could they could agree on different names.

 

Great looking fly by the way.

 

Jay

[halcyon 0]

Jay,

Thanks for the clarification. Now that you point it out I do remember the Dave McNeese fly pattern. In looking at it in Trey's book I agree that the fly posted by Mice is a very nice rendition of it. Man can you believe how young Dave looked in the picture in Trey's book. I agree that two guys that worked together developing two very different flies and using the same name for them creates unnecessary confusion.

[Jaydub 0]

Man can you believe how young Dave looked in the picture in Trey's book.

 

Ha, I saw that too. He still has approximately the same amount of hair on top though.

[Mice 0]

Thanks for interesting discussion.

Could You please advise me on 2 or 3 good books about steelhead flies available in retail right now.

I have books by Shewey and Veverka about spey flies.

 

Paul

[buggybob 0]

Shewey's fly was originally known as the Spawning Purple Spey. Others have shortened it so that the confusion exists.

 

Paul, John Shewey also has a relatively new book out on steelhead flies as well as the spey book.

[Jaydub 0]

I'd also recommend that one.

[halcyon 0]

Another vote for John Shewey's Steelhead Flies. This book comes in at least two different binding options. The traditional hardboud and a spiral binding hardbound which is especially nice for laying flat on a table or book rack while you tie from it.

 

A second hairwing pattern book that you may wish to consider is the Chris Mann book "Hairwing & Tube Flies for Salmon & Steelhead" from Stackpole Books. It is strictly a patternn book. The illustrations are all computer generated and are very interesting that all features and materials are clearly visible unlike photographs where some materials and features can be hidden by other materials. Chis Mann published a series of these pattern books. They are all most excellent pattern books for use on the tying bench. The other titles in the series are "Shrimp & Spey Flies", Featherwing and Hackle Flies, and Complete Flies - which is simply all the flies he had patterns for that he didn't get in the other three volumes.

[Mice 0]

Thank You

Ok. Books by Shewey and Mann. What do You think, should I buy a set of 3 Mann books? What about other two? Are they worth having?

 

Paul

 

http://www.amazon.com/Hairwing-Tube-Flies-...pd_bxgy_b_img_c

[Mice 0]

They are all most excellent pattern books for use on the tying bench. The other titles in the series are "Shrimp & Spey Flies", Featherwing and Hackle Flies, and Complete Flies - which is simply all the flies he had patterns for that he didn't get in the other three volumes.

I"m sorry. Halcyon, you wrote about other two books. Thank you.

[halcyon 0]

My suggestion would be to purchase the Shewey book and one of the Mann books (any one you prefer first) and look the Mann book over to make sure you like the style. I think the computer generated images are most helpful to tyers, but some folks don't like the idea of not using photographs as fly tying illustrations. If you like the way the book is designed, then purchase the remaining volumes. They are all currently in print so they will not be hard to find a few weeks or a few months from now.

[Mice 0]

halcyon, thank you.

 

Paul

[Roadkill 0]

Shewey's book is a good one and it also details Dave's Spawning Purple which had a wing of purple dyed polar bear.

[upstate tj 0]

Nice fly, how do you get your guinea looking so good? After spending much time with the bodkin and comb after the fly is tied, my guinea bunches back up. Do you have a wrapping technique or is it something else? Thank You