Default Grandpa's Story - History of the Adams Fly

[SilverCreek 0]

[fshng2 0]

Thank's for posting.

It is interesting how the original Adams that Leonard Hallady tied has gone thru several changes.

[SilverCreek 0]

Did you notice that Len Halliday wound the thread on the hook with his fingers without a bobbin. He also does not dub the body but uses yarn to wrap the body instead of spinning dubbing on the thread.

The fly tying bobbins were not invented until late 1940s and even then it took time for them to be widely accepted. You can imagine how tedious fly tying was before there were bobbins. The fly tier would have make a half hitch after each step to keep the materials on the hook.

Herb Hintz was the president of our TU chapter for over 15 years. He tied flies and sold them to local fly shops before the commercial fly supplies got into the business. He never adopted the the bobbin but rather continued to tie flies with half hitches just as Len Halliday did. If it ain’t broke, why fix it……

See the bobbin patent below:

http://www.google.al/patents/US2487625

[fshng2 0]

I did notice him not using a bobbin. Didn't realize their were none for him to use.

Neat patent info.

Things were a bit tougher in the beginning. They were however rewarded with an abundance of fish.

I might just try to tie a fly without a bobbin to make me appreciate having one. And of course wrap a body of yarn.

[fshng2 0]

Gave it a shot without bobbin and using old vise.

 

[Crackaig 0]

Many people used a piece of wood held under the vice clamp, with a screw in it. On the screw were two O rings. when you wanted to let go of the thread you slip it between the O rings to keep the tension. One commercial tying operation used this into the 1990s here in the UK, arguing that flies tied this way were tied tighter.

Sometimes you see this on old vices. A small screw with O rings on the clamp body. It did away with the need for so many half hitches.

 

Cheers,

C.

[flytire 0]

this tied many years ago

 

 

 

http://www.flytyingforum.com/index.php?showtopic=77738&hl=halliday

 

http://www.flytyingforum.com/index.php?showtopic=79384&hl=halliday