SalarMan

For me at least...they are strictly for display. During my Atlantic Salmon fishing prime I fished classics, both my own ties as well as commercial ties. They were all on eyed hooks, never with gut eyes...although there are those who fish them with the gut eyes.

Tom, Sorry for the delay...couldn't access the site all day yesterday. Attached is a photo of the finished fly. The horns are now where they belong; a couple of wraps of tinsel nudged a bit; the wing curve brought into place allowing the tip of it and the topping to come together with the tail; stray fibers in the veilings cleaned up a bit; uncooperative throat fibers either fixed or eliminated. You get the idea...just tiny little things that to my eye make a difference. The head still needs another coat of cement. Other than that the fly is pretty much done. Thanks for looking, your curiosity and kind words, George

I am part of a small group...4 of us...who get together to tie classic salmon flies on a semi regular basis...and with whom I am sort of the teacher and mentor due to my much longer time tying these wonderful types of flies. January is when we will meet next and the guys have picked the Popham as the pattern of choice. I haven't tied one in a spell so I figured it wouldn't hurt to refresh myself with all that is involved.. As usual the fly doesn't have it final preening at this point. I prefer to use not just my eyes on the fly, but the photo that always brings out the flaws to be cleaned up.

Another fine idea. I stick with the copper simply because it doesn't rust.

This simple tip keeps your bodkins clean and free of head cement residue. Buy a commercial/restaurant type salt shaker, pack tightly with copper scrubbing pad material and there you have it. Works like a charm.

Very nice Connor !!!!!!!

My pleasure flykid. You're right, we always get something out of every tie. I have a Popham in the works at the moment. We'll see how that goes.

Thanks for your follow-up to my earlier attempt to explain the why and how of classic salmon flies today. As far as time and money...that is oh so true...but that is that really any different than the hunt and time and money for fly tying in general?😄

Most interesting upnorthier. As a guy who has been tying for over 50 years I find today's hackles to be truly amazing. I remember beating the bushes for years to get my hands on a natural dun neck. Now...it's just a matter of picking the right shade for the pattern to be tied. Over those years I have accumulated necks from Elsie & Harry Darbee (in the 1970's), Metz, Charlie Collins & Whiting among others just stumbled onto. I will be curious to see how the grading is done. Collins told me all his necks are of equal quality, it was simply the quantity of feathers that determined the grade of the neck. I am also someone who has stuck with the classic Catskill style of flies for the most part. The addition of parachutes (including Klinkhammers) was a big step for me, but hey they work and they work well so it was the smart thing to do. Keep those additional videos coming!!! Thanks for this one, George

THAT is what a wet fly is supposed to look like. Simple, yet elegant and no doubt effective.

Great looking set of flies Mark!! The Arizona trophy "Sunnies" should love'em!! Like that vise too 😁😁😁

Great photo Pete...and you're oh so right about the memories of days gone bye-bye. First thing I noticed was that Ekich vise in the middle. One of the finest pieces of fly tying equipment on the planet...if you want to wait several years for and can afford one. I've attached 1 or 2 of my own pictures from 2016 to add to the fond memories.

ALWAYS like to hear good news!! Well done..............

While trying to figure out what to do next I was perusing Mike Radencich's book of salmon fly patterns and this one caught my eye. Never tied it before so I thought I'd give it a go. Only mildly content with this one. After preening I will make a final decision on whether or not to keep it. Until then...here it is for what it's worth.

Nothing dramatic Mike. Just straighten the throat fibers with a mascara brush/comb (hair dryer on low helps here), make sure the topping is balanced on both sides of the wing, use a bodkin the straighten up the ostrich butts, make sure the ribbing is evenly spaced...that sort of thing. The fly also needed another coat of head cement before mounting and shipping to my friend in Florida. Sorry no photos of the preened fly.

Any luck on your feather hunt? Well worth the effort if you manage to get the quality you need and want !!!

Thanks Dean!!

For those interested...the vise sold for $410.00. WOW!!!

No offense taken mikechell...and I understand your thinking more than you know. Yes they do look a great deal alike, but remember these were fishing flies 100 to 150 years ago, so what worked was frequently repeated, and on a much simpler level, just like today's Catskill dries, wets and nymphs that still hold their own against the latest and greatest of todays efforts. The various ghillies who worked for and tended the salmon rivers for the wealthy landed gentry in those days were a bit competitive and tried to outdo one another with the combination of ingredients in their flies as did the commercial tyers of the day. That being said, the estimated couple thousand of us who tie these flies worldwide today are doing our best to keep the tradition of those 19th and early 20th century flies alive and well. Many of the materials today are substitutes since we don't have the British Empire of old making all those wonderful feathers readily available through what was then the millinery trade supplying exotic feathers for women's apparel. Aside from keeping the tradition alive, it is the challenge of the hunt for materials and the challenge of the tying these complicated and beautiful flies. Just another extension of the great world of fly fishing.

Thank you gentlemen...one and all!!!

Interesting thoughts...but the wings/feathers need not come from the same bird. Just make sure the strips being tied in are the same width and if possible...even to the point of the same number of fibers. On top of that they should come from the same location on the quill as in near the base, the middle or tip. The rest is simply technique. Good luck on your feather hunt!!

What a great thread !!!!!!!

Woven bodies eh? I like that idea and will have to give it a go.

Great stuff actually. It is at its best on small stuff...say size 20 and smaller. Makes a fine natural looking body and it will readily accept coloring to become whatever shade you might need...just do the coloring or shading before wrapping. You can make the colors variegated as well. Historical info...At one time fly lines were made of horse hair. It was also woven to create the the eyes for blind hooks.

At one time it was my material of choice for the abdomen on my Trico spinners. A pattern from Vince Marinaro if my memory serves me well. I don't know why it wouldn't be an excellent choice for other small midges and that sort of thing.