Vintage Fly Tying Materials

[DFoster 0]

I thought I would post this for anyone out there that enjoys the history of tying.  Robert Smith is known in England as an expert on vintage and traditional tying materials and techniques. He has a collection of vintage materials acquired from estate finds like the one in this video.  From his collection he can tie as accurately as possible to the original patterns.  Often the feathers called for are from birds that are now protected however he does offer recommendations for legal substitutes.

 

 

Flytire linked a couple of his videos here.  I love this stuff!

 

[Capt Bob LeMay 0]

I've noted a distinct difference these days in the saltwater fly tying world as well... Older tyers like me are much more involved with natural materials - feathers, hair, and tails while younger tyers have learned to use synthetics almost exclusively for their creations....

 

As a commercial tyer for many years I learned to buy my materials in bulk.  Strung saddle hackles and neck hackles - by the bundle (3 to 7 ounces per bundle) or simply by the pound (what amounts to a lifetime supply in one color or another...).  As a result I rarely ever need to visit a fly shop for basic materials and haven't kept up with the world of synthetics except to note that in my wholesale catalogs you see new materials listed every year, while natural materials rarely change, except for when one supplier or another is no longer in business (I miss Hobbs Feather Company to this day - even though they went out of business thirty years ago...). 

[rscconrad 0]

I’m still working with my Hobbs strung peacock herl. It was a yard of the long stuff. 
 

I miss that place also. 

[Capt Bob LeMay 0]

Their best feature was a color sample folio that they sold to wholesale customers for less than twenty bucks if memory serves... It contained a maribou sample of every color (between 30 and 50 all told...) they dyed materials into and it was absolutely accurate.  If you ordered rusty orange that’s the exact color you’d get... The materials of theirs I still have are mostly broken pieces of dyed bucktails- by the pound per color at very reasonable prices.  They’re still handy when tying bucktail jigs and need accent colors to go with the basically white or yellow tails.

Once again, wish they were still around.

[DFoster 0]

On 4/24/2021 at 6:21 AM, Capt Bob LeMay said:

I've noted a distinct difference these days in the saltwater fly tying world as well... Older tyers like me are much more involved with natural materials - feathers, hair, and tails while younger tyers have learned to use synthetics almost exclusively for their creations....

 

As a commercial tyer for many years I learned to buy my materials in bulk.  Strung saddle hackles and neck hackles - by the bundle (3 to 7 ounces per bundle) or simply by the pound (what amounts to a lifetime supply in one color or another...).  As a result I rarely ever need to visit a fly shop for basic materials and haven't kept up with the world of synthetics except to note that in my wholesale catalogs you see new materials listed every year, while natural materials rarely change, except for when one supplier or another is no longer in business (I miss Hobbs Feather Company to this day - even though they went out of business thirty years ago...). 

I'm with you Bob- I prefer natural materials whenever possible, I think it's a tradition thing with me.  I do use synthetics for things like shell backs or a bit of flash on a pattern but at heart I'm a small stream fly fisherman.   I really love to catch spooky trout in tight quarters with simple, traditional flies on light and sometimes antique rods.  

To your point even in my small stream trout world on occasion I do run into younger tyers on the water I've notice their fly boxes are biased toward synthetics.   That's just fine with me.  Everyone who pursues our sport from Tarpons to Bluegill is entitled to follow their own pathway to it's rewards. 

[Capt Bob LeMay 0]

Amen... and the one thing I always tried to point out when I was trying to teach newbies interested in fly tying was that the fish were the judges for our efforts.   If fish refused your fly - no matter how nice it looked then put it on a wall somewhere and go with a pattern they would eat...

[DFoster 0]

12 hours ago, Capt Bob LeMay said:

Amen... and the one thing I always tried to point out when I was trying to teach newbies interested in fly tying was that the fish were the judges for our efforts.   If fish refused your fly - no matter how nice it looked then put it on a wall somewhere and go with a pattern they would eat...

So true. Nothing kills the enthusiasm of a newbie quicker than not catching fish.   Except for a snake bite or in your location getting hit from a stingray.

[WWKimba 0]

20 hours ago, DFoster said:

I'm with you Bob- I prefer natural materials whenever possible, I think it's a tradition thing with me.  I do use synthetics for things like shell backs or a bit of flash on a pattern but at heart I'm a small stream fly fisherman.   I really love to catch spooky trout in tight quarters with simple, traditional flies on light and sometimes antique rods.  

To your point even in my small stream trout world on occasion I do run into younger tyers on the water I've notice their fly boxes are biased toward synthetics.   That's just fine with me.  Everyone who pursues our sport from Tarpons to Bluegill is entitled to follow their own pathway to it's rewards. 

This one reason that I'm such a huge fan of Jack Gartside and his patterns - quick, simple ties that mostly use easy to obtain (what I like to call fly ting pantry items) natural materials.  He wasn't a purist, but used the newer flash as one would use a seasoning in fixing a dish - just something to add to the dish - not to overpower it.

Kim

[DFoster 0]

21 minutes ago, WWKimba said:

This one reason that I'm such a huge fan of Jack Gartside and his patterns - quick, simple ties that mostly use easy to obtain (what I like to call fly ting pantry items) natural materials.  He wasn't a purist, but used the newer flash as one would use a seasoning in fixing a dish - just something to add to the dish - not to overpower it.

Kim

Jack's soft hackle streamer is the perfect example.  Just a few strands of flash and it will catch fish almost any where. 

[Moshup 0]

Jack was an “All rounder” when it came to tying.  Jack’s flies had the qualities of being fairly simple

but they were killers and one fly could be effective in both the salt and the fresh depending on size. 
Sadly we have lost a good many exceptional tyers these past couple of years.

[jcozzz 0]

I have LOTS of vintage stuff.Maybe some that is banned but in the original paks.Not many flyfishers or tyers in my area but must have been at one time.I just went thru a box of flea market stuff and found 2 backs of seal on the skin peccary 3 capes 10 spools of silk ,some big Alcock salt water hooks, some vintage mustad hooks down sz 24 .I try to incorporate at least a couple natural materials into my ties.I bought some of Gartside's secret stuff in 3 colors.I still can't believe how much of each i got.Enough for 10 lifetimes.