Lesson - 09

Silver Doctor

I have seen more than a dozen and a half different patterns of the "Silver Doctor" fly; and there are probably as many more of the same general type called "Doctors" of other kinds. The materials used in tying these patterns are many and varied; and the usefulness of the various patterns seems to depend greatly upon the locality in which they are used. A "Silver Doctor" pattern that is good in Colorado may be of dubious value in British Columbia. The same is true of either pattern used in the central or northern states.

Whether it is tied dry, tied wet or made up as a bucktail, the fly is very colorful. And, a few copies of this pattern in your fly box may be fine for the day when no other fly will produce fish. When the time is right the fly really attracts fish although such times are not numerous as far as my own fishing is concerned.

For this fly use a No. 10 hook and black tying silk, size 000.

Three materials are used for the tail: red hackle fibres, yellow hackle fibres and either teal or mallard breast fibres from a male duck breast feather. Take 3 or 4 fibres of each material, mix the fibres together so the colors are intermingled and tie them on at the bend of the hook in the usual way. Do not put the colors separately. If you tie in each color separately the tying silk at the bend of the hook will be too bulky. The length of the tail should be from 2 to 2/3rds the length of the shank of the hook.

This fly has a butt consisting of 2 or 3 turns of red floss. The butt is put on just in front of the tail. Cut a double strand of red floss, about 3 or 4 inches in length, from your spool of floss. Tie the floss on at the base of the tail, where the tying silk is attached. Wrap the red floss 2 or 3 turns at the same spot, one turn on top of the other over itself. After these wraps have been made, tie down the floss with several turns of the tying silk and a half-hitch. Cut off the remainder of the floss. Spiral the tying silk to a point 3/l6ths of an inch from the eye of the hook.

Cut off about 6 or 8 inches of narrow silver tinsel from the spool of tinsel. Tie on one end of the tinsel at the spot where the tying silk is now attached to the hook, that is, at a point about 3/l6ths of an inch from the eye of the hook. Attach the tinsel at this point with 3 or 4 turns of the tying silk and a half-hitch. You may possibly think this is wrong when you read it; but on this fly it is better to attach the silver tinsel near the eye of the hook than it is to tie it on at the butt of the fly. In the way I will show you it is possible to cover the body with silver tinsel so that nothing but silver tinsel shows; none of the black tying silk can show through. Now, wrap the tinsel very carefully, in spirals, around the shank of the hook, to the spot where the red floss butt has been placed on the hook. When you have wrapped the tinsel to this spot, wrap it back, in spirals, very carefully toward the eye of the hook. Wrap to the point where the tying silk is attached, cross over with the tying silk, make 2 or 3 turns over the tinsel and complete this step with a half-hitch. Cut off the remainder of the tinsel. The tinsel has been wrapped around the shank of the hook from the point near the eye to the butt of the fly and, then, back over itself. It has been spiraled one way toward the bend of the hook and, as you wrapped it back, it has been spiraled the other way toward the eye. The two wrappings make a body just a fraction heavier than the average; but they completely cover the shank of the hook and the tying silk. If you wish you may take the fly out of the vise and look at the body. You can then see how well you covered the shank of the hook with the tinsel.

This fly has what is known as a "married" wing. It is one of the most difficult wings for the beginner to make; but it does become easier as you tie more flies of this pattern. After you have made quite a few of these you will find the process a fairly simple one, but at the start you will, no doubt, be unhappy with the results you obtain. However, you should keep on tying flies of this pattern until you master this type of wing.

Take, from your assortment of materials, one pair each of the red, yellow and silver doctor blue dyed duck primary feathers. Be sure that you have a matched pair of each— a feather from the left wing and a feather from the right wing, in each of the three colors. Place the three pairs of feathers on the table in front of you.

In Lesson No. 6 you learned to tie a fly (the Black Gnat) having a wing made of fibres from the primary wing feather of a duck. In the black gnat the wing was made of fibres from a matched pair of feathers of a single color. Fibres from three, differently-colored feathers are used in making the wings of a Silver Doctor fly. To make these wings you will have to follow instructions exactly or they will not turn out as they should. Done properly the wings of the Silver Doctor are beautiful; and it will be a fly you will be proud to say you have tied. When you have successfully tied this fly you will be able to appreciate how far you have actually advanced in the art of fly-tying and, I am sure, will feel that the effort has been worth while. If you find the first three or four flies of this pattern do not fully please you, don't give up. As I have told you a good many times it takes practice; and you do have to practice each different tying process if you want to become a good fly tyer.

In preparing to make the wings of this fly you will follow the same procedures that I have previously stated for the preparation of the material for the wing of a dry fly. The feathers must be matched, the fuzz at the base of the feather removed, segments of fibres cut off and properly laid out on the table, picked up, placed together and tied on the hook. But, as the wings of this fly are made of fibres from three differently-colored pairs of feathers, there are some additional steps as well.

Be sure the curve of the wings of each of the six feathers in the three pairs is the same. The curve of the feathers is an important factor in marrying the fibres together. If the curve is the same on each of the primaries, the process of marrying the fibres from the three feathers is much easier to perform.

When you have taken off all of the fuzz at the base of each feather, lay out the feathers, in pairs, on the table in front of you, in the manner indicated in lesson No. 6. Place the pair of red primaries nearest you, the yellow next, and the Silver Doctor blue pair farthest from you. When the wing is put together the red fibres will be at the bottom, the yellow fibres will be in the center, and the Silver Doctor blue fibres will be at the top of the wing. This is true whether the fly is tied dry or tied wet. When tying this pattern remember that the red portion is on the bottom, the yellow in the center, and Silver Doctor blue is on the top.

Now, with your scissors, cut off about 1/2 inch of fibres from the left primary and 1/2 inch of fibres from the right primary of the pair of red primary feathers, cutting each segment off near the quill of the feather. Place the two segments on the table in front of you with the same side of the feather facing upward, and the tips of the wing segments away from you and curved to the left and the right. Place the feathers from which the segments have been cut away from the portion of the table on which you are working.

Repeat this process with the pair of yellow primary feathers and the pair of Silver Doctor blue primary feathers. Lay out the segments carefully, keeping the same side up, the segments from the left and right wings separated, and the tips properly pointed.

Next, measure the width, or gape, of the hook. This distance, between the shank of the hook and the point of the barb, is the total width of the wing you will place on this fly. Take a dubbin' needle, or the needle you have been using for picking out the fibres on flies, and separate from the 1/2 inch segment of red fibres from the left wing a portion (or smaller segment) of red fibres equal in width to 1/3rd of the width of the gape of the hook. The reason for taking such a small portion, just 1/3rd of the gape distance, is that you will be marrying three colors and 1/3 of each one of the colors will total the width between the shank of the hook and the point of the barb.

Repeat this process on the segment of yellow fibres from the left wing; and then do the same with the segment of Silver Doctor blue fibres from the left wing.

You now have separated small portions of fibres from the left wing feathers of each color, but have not yet separated small portions from the right wing segments. Work, now, with the small portions separated from the left wing feathers. Grasp the strip of red fibres between the thumb and forefinger of your left hand and pick up the strip of yellow fibres in the fingers of your right hand. Lay the yellow strip on the top edge of the red strip, with the tips of the fibres in the yellow strip just above the tips of fibres in the red strip. Move the two strips together as closely as possible between your fingers and, then, grasp the two strips, at the base of the fibres, between the thumb and forefinger of your right hand. Now, with the thumb and forefinger of your left hand, stroke the fibres toward the tips of the fibres. Continue stroking them until the adjoining red and yellow fibres are joined together from tips evenly matched. The normal motion is to stroke from the base of the fibres to the tips of the fibres. However, if the fibres will not go together upon stroking this way, you may take the tips in your left hand and stroke from the tip toward the butts, or base, of the fibres.

You may be able to marry these duck wing fibres together on the first attempt, or it may take several trials. Be patient; it will work. Why does it work? Because each of these fibres is constructed with a tongue on one side and a groove on the other, the same as the tongue and groove milled into the pieces of wood flooring you walk on. Also, at the edge of the duck wing fibres there are very small hooks which help to hold the fibres together. If you have a very strong magnifying glass, you can see the tongue and groove and the hooks, of which I speak, upon looking at one of these segments.

When you have the red and the yellow fibres joined together grasp this portion between the thumb and forefinger of your left hand and place the small segment of Silver Doctor blue fibres, from the left wing, on top of the yellow fibres which you have married to the red fibres. Place the tips of the blue fibres even with the tips of the yellow and red fibres. Do not be concerned about the butt, or base, of the fibres; if they vary in length, it makes no difference as the base can be trimmed off evenly after the wings are placed on top of the fly. But it is important that the tips of the fibres be evenly matched; otherwise you will have a misshapen wing. Join the Silver Doctor blue fibres to the yellow fibres in the same manner that you joined the red and yellow fibres together.

You will notice that, so far, I have told you to work only with the small segments from the left wing feathers. There is a reason for this. You can marry fibres from a left wing feather to fibres from another left wing feather; but you cannot marry fibres from a right wing feather to fibres from a left wing feather. Consequently, it is most important that you carefully separate the wing feathers from each side and keep the segments together in this process. Also, as I have mentioned before, the fibres to be married should be ones which are similarly curved if satisfactory results are to be obtained.

Now that you have completed the wing made of fibres from the left wing feathers, you repeat the process with fibres from the right wing feathers. Separate the small portions of red, yellow and Silver Doctor blue fibres; marrying the yellow to the red and the blue to the yellow, remembering that the red is at the bottom and the Silver Doctor blue at the top.

Having completed the two wings, you are ready to place the wings on the fly. Attach these wings in the same way that you put on the wings of the Black Knat dry fly, making the tips of the wings sweep up and spread apart. Check the wings for length and position, holding the two wing segments between the thumb and forfinger of your right hand. Make sure that the tips of the wings are even. Now grasp the wings between the thumb and forefinger of your left hand and place them on top of the hook. Tie the wings on tightly. Cut off the butts of the fibres that stick out beyond the front of the tying silk. Before placing the hackle on the fly make sure that the wings are up and divided. There is a certain amount of mental hazard in tying on wings of this type. You are inclined to worry and wonder whether the wing segments will split and the colors separate. Don't let it bother you. Go ahead and tie them on just the same way that you did the wings of solid colors. You will have no more trouble with these than with the others, unless you get nervous and tie them improperly.

Select a Silver Doctor blue hackle that is dry and free of web. A neck hackle is best; a saddle hackle is second choice. Take off the fuzz and web at the base of the feather. Tie it just in front of the wings with the concave side of the hackle facing you. With your hackle pliers grasp the tip of the hackle and make one full turn in front of the wings. Lift the wings with the thumb and forefinger of your right hand, make 2 turns in back of the wings; then make 2 turns in front of the wings—a total of 4 turns. Cross over the hackle tip with the tying silk, make 3 or 4 wraps with the tying silk and a half-hitch. Cut off the surplus hackle with your scissors, taper the head and whip finish. The fly is completed by lacquering the head.

To do some reviewing, when tying on dry hackle be sure the concave, or dull side is facing you when you tie it on the hook and that the concave, or dull, side is facing the front of the hook as you wrap the hackle on the hook.

If you wish to tie a wet fly with the wings over the body of the hook, place the hackle on the hook before you tie on the wings. Tie the hackle wet, with the shiny side facing the eye of the hook, taking 5 turns of the tying silk at the same place. Then, separate the fibres at the top of the hook so that you will be able to tie the wings on over the top of the hook more readily. In tying the Silver Doctor as a wet fly you will have to reverse the colors so that the tips of the fibres will be down, sweeping over the body of the fly. The red strip is next to the body. The wings are tied on edge and together. When placing them on top of the hook, be sure the concave sides of the wing fibres are together, the dull, or underside, of the wing fibres on the outside. With the wing standing on edge it will look the same as a single color wing; but it is one of the most attractive winged flies that you will tie.

In explanation of the pattern, it is one that I have selected from the many Silver Doctor patterns. Many experienced tyers may say that this is not the true pattern, or that it is not the pattern tied in their locality. Do not worry about it. There are a great many patterns that are called Silver Doctor; and once you have learned to tie this one you can tie the others, if you want to do so.

I have given two patterns at the end of this lesson. The first one is for the dry fly which we have tied in this lesson. The other, you will notice, is tied wet. The second pattern is tied in the same manner as the first except for placing the hackle on first and then tying on the wings so that they sweep back over the body.

SILVER DOCTOR (Dry)

Hook:               No. 8 - No. 14
Tail:                  Red, yellow hackle fibres; teal or mallard breast fibres
Butt:                 Red floss or red wool
Body:               Silver tinsel, narrow
Wings:              Red, yellow and Silver Doctor blue primary
                        strips, married. Red next to body. Tied upright and divided
Hackle:             Silver Doctor blue, tied dry

SILVER DOCTOR (Wet)

Hook:               No. 6 - No. 14
Tail:                  Same as dry pattern
Butt:                 Same as dry pattern
Body:               Same as dry pattern
Hackle:             Silver Doctor blue, tied wet
Wings:              Red, yellow and Silver Doctor blue primary
                        strips, married; tied together on edge,    over body. Tied wet.

DESCRIPTION OF FLY TYING MATERIALS

In this book you will find no lengthy description of all of materials used in tying flies. This part of the book is designed to assist you in identifying and selecting various materials which are frequently used in fly tying. Most of the materials here described may be readily obtained at shops or mail order houses that specialize in handling materials for fly tying, but are seldom available in the ordinary sporting goods or tackle store.

In buying materials for your own flies you should be primarily concerned with their quality, because you cannot make a top-quality fly out of inferior materials. Even though materials of good quality may cost you a few pennies more than you would pay for inferior materials, you will be ahead in the long run because there is less wastage in the high quality materials; and besides you have the kind of material of which you can make the best possible flies. One way to insure that you will get materials of high quality is to buy from a shop or house, the owner of which is himself experienced in the tying of flies, one where the owner from his own experience knows the characteristics which are most desirable, and in his own shop uses nothing but the best. If the best grade of a desired material is not available on the market—and this sometimes occurs—such a person will explain why, whether the material is out of season or is scarce. And, if he is honest, he will supply you with material of lower grade only after this has been explained to you and you know what you are getting. Such a source of supply is one that you should patronize if you wish to get the most for the money you spend on materials.

The patterns of some of the flies developed many years ago call for feathers which are at this time very difficult to obtain. In some cases the birds are now practically extinct. In other instances government controls prohibit either killing or exporting the birds or feathers from them. In most instances, substitutes for such scarce feathers have been developed, and these substitutes have been used successfully for many years and proven satisfactory for your use in tying flies of these patterns.

Many of the substitutes are feathers from a different species of bird dyed to resemble a scarce feather. It is true, of course, that the best feathers are ones with natural coloration. But with the aniline dyes that are available today, it is possible to match colors very closely and to obtain dyes that are consistently of the same shade. When a reliable fly tying material house does its own dyeing you can rest assured that the colors of dyed feathers which you buy from such a supplier will be the same from year to year.

(A) HACKLE COLORS

The natural colors, and combinations of colors, found in feathers used for the hackle of artificial flies are many and varied. Some are known by names which are familiar to all; others are described in terms which are not so familiar. In the following paragraphs I shall describe the natural colors which are most frequently used in fly tying and indicate some of their characteristics and uses.

BADGER. The center of the hackle feather is usually brownish-black to black along most of the length of the quill. The closer to the base of the feather the wider is the band of dark color. The outer portion of the fibres, from the dark center section to the tip of the fibre, ranges in color from a ginger, or yellowish white, to a definite white. Whether the feather is from the neck or the saddle the colors will usually be the same. On some badger hackle feathers the tip ends of the fibres are a natural black. This is a desirable feature, as it gives a very good foot pattern on the fly.

BARRED. Barred hackle is known by a number of different names, among which are plymouth rock, grizzly, list or dominique in addition to the more common barred. Barred hackle varies in color from a cream and black combination to a white and black combination. On this type of hackle feather the bar is actually V-shaped, tapering downward to the quill of the feather rather than crossing the feather in a line perpendicular to the quill.

From the standpoint of color, most fly tyers prefer the clear white and black combination. As to width of the bands, some tyers prefer a feather in which the black color is more pronounced, a little wider than the white. Others like the bands of black and white to be uniform in width. My preference is bands of uniform width for most of the patterns I tie.

Although, as I have stated above, the term "list" is sometimes used as an alternative for "barred," this term is also used to describe a feather which is a variant, or an off-color one. It is sometimes used to describe a feather having stripes of any two colors. Other times it is used to describe a feather with an edge or margin of a color which differs from the remainder of the feather.

BLACK. The name is descriptive of the color. Black feathers from the game cock, or rooster, are used for the tying of either wet or dry hackles. Black feathers from the neck of a hen may also be used, but only for the tying of wet flies. As a substitute for natural black hackle you may use dyed hackle feathers, either from the neck or the saddle of the bird.

BLUE DUN. The feathers known as blue dun range in color from a fairly light grey of bluish cast to a darker grey which is almost a gun metal shade. The darker feathers of gun metal shade are more correctly known as "iron blue dun." Any shade within the indicated range may be used, as desired, but the lighter grey shades are the ones most commonly used. Necks of blue dun in natural color may be purchased, but they are very expensive. For the beginner it is recommended that he obtain dyed feathers of this color. After he becomes proficient one may then buy a natural color neck, if he or she wishes.

BROWN, NATURAL. The term "natural brown" means a feather of medium brown shade. The natural brown feather is used whenever the pattern calls for brown hackle, without mention of any particular shade of brown.

BROWN, FIERY. Fiery brown is a rich medium brown with a reddish tinge that has a lot of fire in it. The feather has a golden glint when it is turned toward the light. This is a color which is very hard to duplicate with dye. Fortunately there is a plentiful supply of feathers of this color, and you can readily obtain the shade you desire. Saddle hackle is slightly more golden in shade than neck hackle.

CHESTNUT. Chestnut hackle is a very dark brown. The underside of the feather is but a shade or two lighter than the outer, or shiny, side. Feathers from the neck of a rooster are the ones which have this color. These feathers are readily obtainable from fly tying supply houses such as that operated by the writer.

It is difficult to duplicate chestnut hackle by dyeing, but because the supply is good there is really no need to attempt such duplication.

This color is also known as natural dark coachman red, and some patterns call for it under this name.

FURNACE. Furnace hackle, like badger hackle, is brownish-black to black along the quill of the feather. The outer ends of the fibres of a furnace hackle feather, outside of the brownish-black to black center strip, range from a light brown to a very dark brown. In addition to using this color of hackle on patterns which specifically call for furnace hackle, you may introduce an interesting variation by using furnace hackle on tying patterns which call for natural brown hackle. The furnace hackle gives you a fly with hackle which is dark near the body of the fly, shading into the brown coloration of the hackle fibres toward their tips.

GINGER. Ginger hackle feathers vary from a creamy white to a light brown. In patterns which call for ginger hackle, without any specification as to the shade of ginger, use a feather which is a medium beige with a golden cast, or glint. This is the medium shade of this color, and most fly tyers prefer to use a medium shade of a natural hackle color for the majority of the flies they tie. However, you may very well encounter a hatch of flies which are either a light ginger or a dark ginger in color. So, for such times it is well to have in your fly box a few copies which are tied with the lighter and darker ginger shades.

In a ginger colored neck you will often find variations in the shades of the feathers that will provide you with the lighter and darker shades of the color. Usually the lighter shade is found in the center of the neck and the darker shade is on the sides of the neck.

WHITE. White hackle feathers are obtainable in two distinct shades. One is the natural white, which is a creamy white. The other is a pure white. The snow white hackle has been washed, perhaps bleached lightly. Most of the time the preference is for the pure white shade. The natural white, or creamy white, shade differs from the light ginger which I mentioned above. After you have had some experience in working with the feathers used for fly tying you will be able to distinguish between the two shades.

OTHER COLORS. In these lessons the patterns do not call for natural color hackle other than the colors mentioned above. There are, however, quite a few other natural colors of hackle. At the beginning it is, I believe, best for you to become acquainted with these basic natural colors. After completing the lessons in this book you will be better prepared to learn about the other, less common colors and add them to your stock of fly tying materials.

(B) WING FEATHERS

The pointer, or flight, feathers of a duck constitute the source of the material used in making the wings on many patterns of artificial flies. These feathers, which come from the wings of ducks, such as the mallard duck, contain the strong fibres, which attach themselves to each other by means of a tongue and groove structure, required to make the upright, and other types, of wings of the fly.

POINTER FEATHERS. The pointer, or flight, feathers in the wing of a duck are commonly referred to as "primary" feathers. There are ten of these feathers on each wing. One feather from each of the two wings of a duck constitutes a pair of primaries that may be used in making the wings of flies. The feathers in each pair, however, should be matched ones, coming from the same or approximately the same position in the two wings. Each of the feathers in a matched pair of primaries should have approximately the same curve, the same width and be of the same texture. If the curve, the width or the texture of the two feathers differs to any extent you cannot hope to make a good pair of wings on the fly.

Mallard pointer, or flight, feathers are a natural grey in color from the base of the feather to a point very near the tip of the feather. Each fibre in a feather is quite strong. The No. 1 pointer, or flight, feather is the longest feather in the wing. The fibres of the No. 1 feather, however, are shorter than the fibres of the other primary feathers. The No. 2 pointer, or flight, feather is a little shorter than the No. 1 feather but the fibres are longer. Going on to the No. 5 feather, you will find that it is not as sharply pointed at the tip as the No. 1 and No. 2 feathers, but the fibres of the No. 5 feather are much longer and the fibres of the No. 5 feather have more of a curve. Each pointer, or flight, feather should be matched with the feather of corresponding number from the other wing in making up matched pairs of primary feathers. This also applies to white pointers.

SECONDARY FEATHERS. Along the duck wing, after the 10 pointer feathers, you find the secondary flight feathers. There are also 10 secondary flight feathers. On Mallard wings these feathers are frequently called McGinty feathers, because they are used in making the McGinty fly. The outer surfaces of the first two secondary feathers are grey in color on both sides of the quill. The outer surfaces of the other eight secondary feathers are bluish in color on one side of the quill and grey on the other side of the quill. The tips of these eight feathers are white, with the larger strip of white on the outside curve of the feather.

(C) OTHER TYPES OF FEATHERS

GROUSE BACK FEATHERS. The feathers from the back of a grouse are the most used feather for small flies. These feathers are used for hackle as well as for wings laid down flat over the top of the fly. At the base of the feather there is a great deal of web. Toward the tip of the feather there is an abundance of black which changes abruptly to a rich brown. At the center of the tip of the feather there is an oblong spot, much lighter brown in color.

GROUSE SECONDARY WING FEATHERS; TAIL FEATHERS. The secondary wing feathers and the tail feathers of a grouse are a rich mottled brown. These feathers are used for the wings of very small flies. A section is cut from each side of the quill of one of these feathers. These sections are used to make the wing of a wet fly or to make a wing which lies over the body of a small fly.

GUINEA HACKLE AND BODY FEATHERS. The hackle and body feathers of a guinea fowl are black in color with almost round, white dots. The feathers from the center of the breast and along the flank of the bird are large. Used as hackle these feathers give a very beautiful pattern of black and white fibres. The feathers on the back of the bird are much smaller and the color pattern more delicate than in breast and flank feathers. The back feathers may be used whenever pattern of fly specifies a lighter barred hackle, without much white. Breast, flank and back feathers of the guinea fowl may be used either as hackle or as wing material. Used as hackle it is classed as wet.

The primary feathers of this fowl are used in making the wings of wet flies. The marking of the primary feathers is the same as that of the hackle and body feathers.

MALLARD BREAST FEATHERS. A Mallard breast feather is whitish-grey in color, with black zig-zag bars running across the feather. The black coloration is not very prominent in these feathers. All the breast feathers are not the same size. They range from quite small to fairly large. The coloration is the same on all sizes of these feathers, but the pattern on smaller feathers is more delicate.

MALLARD FLANK FEATHERS. The flank feathers of a mallard duck are quite similar in color and pattern to the breast feathers of the bird. These feathers are, however, much longer than the breast feathers, and the quill is quite heavy in comparison with that found in the breast feather.

Although sometimes used in the tying of flies, the flank feather should not be used unless it is specifically called for in the pattern. It should not be used as a substitute for mallard breast feathers.

PARTRIDGE HACKLE FEATHERS. Grey partridge hackle is one of the most delicate of all hackles. The feather is miniature in size, grey in color with small flecks of black dotting its surface. Some feathers have a brown bar at the tip. The brown bar gives a different appearance to the fly upon which the feather is used as hackle. The feather may be used to make an overlay wing. In the Pacific Northwest it is used, tied spider, on a fly called the Carot Nymph, which has been proven as one of the best for the cutthroat trout of that area.

PEACOCK FEATHERS. The multi-colored feather of the peacock provides many different types of materials that are widely used in the tying of flies.

The eyed peacock feather is used the most of all of the feathers of this bird. This one feather is used for the body, the butt, the shoulder and, sometimes, the overwing of flies. Each fibre of the eyed peacock feather is separate from, and independent of, each other fibre. Each separate fibre of the feather has very fine fibres which stand out perpendicularly from the stem of the main fibre. There are several different types of pea fowl and each type of the bird has a somewhat different coloration in the tail feather. The peacock tail feather with a greenish cast is the one most commonly used in fly tying; but there are also peacock tail feathers of blue and of grey cast as well as white ones. The white peacock feather, being entirely white, may be dyed to provide a variety of hues. The fibres from the eye of the feather also may be stripped of their minute projecting fibres and used for the quill body on a small fly. On the natural colored peacock, of greenish cast, there are, on each side of the main tail feathers, feathers which are called peacock sword feathers. These feathers have fibres of a very rich, green color. The lengths of the fibres on these feathers vary from very short at the tip to several inches at the base.

On the back of the peacock there is a feather which has the appearance of a miniature fan. Each fibre of the feather has a small bit of black at the tip. When one looks at the whole feather it appears as though the edge of the feather had been painted with a very thin, even stripe of black. This feather is used for throat hackle or wing dressing.

From the base of the neck to the top of the head the feathers of the peacock are a beautiful blue. The feathers close to the back of the bird are blue with a slight greenish cast; but up the neck, toward the top of the head, these feathers become progressively more blue. The same is true of the breast and front portion of the neck of the bird. On top of the peacock's head are a group of bare quills, and on the end of each quill is a fan-shaped bunch of blue fibres.

The wing feathers of the peacock are of two quite distinct colorations. The flight feathers, or primaries, which are the feathers nearest to the end of the wing, are seal brown in color. The next few feathers on the wing are much wider and vary in color from greyish-black to black. On both the seal brown and the black feathers the fibres are very heavy.

The back feathers, as weil as the secondary feathers, are very colorful. These feathers are marked or mottled, and range from a beige or light brown, as the lighter color, to a medium or very dark brown, as the darker color. The lighter color does not run from one side of the feather to the other in a straight line but there is a zig-zag line of lighter color from one side to the other. The smaller the feather the more delicate is the marking. In the case of immature birds, as well as in the case of the mature bird which has moulted and has new feathers coming in, there are very fragile, grey feathers, with long fibres, on the under side of the bird, at the back, and on the upper portions of the legs. These fragile, grey feathers are of the same texture as white marabou feathers and may be used in making flies of the marabou streamer type. These flies are very deadly in certain localities.

WOOD DUCK LEMON FEATHERS. The lemon colored side feathers of the wood duck are highly prized by the fly tyers. These feathers are a delicate, light yellowish-brown with faint black bars. Unfortunately there are not many of these feathers on the market. When they are not obtainable, the side feathers of the Mandarin duck is the best substitute. If neither is available, due to heavy demand, or if the price is too high, the next best is Mallard breast feathers, dyed to match the shade of the wood duck feather. The dyed Mallard feather, when properly dyed, at a quick glance, looks about the same as the feather it is designed to imitate. It's action in the water is identical.

RINGNECK PHEASANT RUMP OR SADDLE FEATHERS. The rump, or saddle, feathers of the ringneck pheasant vary in color depending on the age of the bird. Close to the tail the feathers are a rich chocolate brownish-red. Closer to the saddle of the bird they are either greenish in color or a beautiful blue. These feathers are just in front of the tail, and all the usable feathers of this type are in a space not much larger than a silver dollar. These feathers are used mostly in making flies which imitate the dragonfly nymph. The season of the year determines which of the several shades is most effective.

RINGNECK PHEASANT TAIL FEATHERS. The long tail feathers of the ringneck pheasant have fibres which are separated at the edges of the feather, about half of the fibre being free and the other half, nearest the quill, being attached to the adjoining fibres. The lower half of the tail feather is brownish in color, with wide bars of black. This portion of the feather may be used for the tail or the wings of flies. The upper portion of the feather varies from a greyish-green-brown to a greenish brown, depending on the age of the bird. The upper portion of the feather is not suitable for use on flies.

The secondary tail feathers are a much deeper brown color. All of the fibres hang together. These feathers may be used in making wet wings and many patterns call for them.

GOLDEN PHEASANT NECK OR TIPPET FEATHERS. The neck or tippet feather is used on many flies. The feather has a black edge, and is very orange between the black edge of the feather and black bar down 4 of the way from the tip of the feather. From this second bar the orange color fades to a beige at the base of the feather. Size of the feather will vary, the smallest next to the crest of the bird, the larger feathers at the base of the cape or neck.
(D) HAIR

BADGER. See Fur—Badger, below.

DEER BODY HAIR. The hair from any portion of the body of a deer may be used in making flies. It's primary use is for hair wings of flies, but it is also extensively used in making mouse patterns for bass fishing. In the areas where hair wings are most popular deer body hair is an essential item of fly tying material.

The body hair of a deer is uniformly grey in color at the base but it varies substantially in shade of grey. The tips of the hair vary from a beige color to quite a reddish brown color. The hair of the doe is much more soft in texture than the hair of the buck deer. At the base of the hair of some types of deer there is a small amount of fuzz which is sometimes used for spinning the bodies of flies.
DEER BELLY HAIR. For certain patterns of flies having white hair wings deer belly hair may be used to make a very attractive wing. Some of the hair from the belly of a deer is soft and silky; other portions provide a stubbly hair. The soft, silky hair makes a streamer wing the fibres of which lie closely together. The stubbly hair makes a wing that spreads or fans out over the body of the fly. Either type of wing is good, which to use depends on conditions of lake or stream.

DEER HAIR—BUCKTAIL In the Pacific Northwest the use of bucktail is never-ending. Every fly tyer has at least one white, or natural colored, buck-tail in his fly tying kit. If he fishes very much he also has bucktails dyed red, hot orange and yellow among his fly tying materials.
 
The tail of the Eastern or Northern buck deer is the best of the bucktails for fly tying purposes. The white hairs of the tail vary in length from 3 to 7 inches. The hair is very white. Some of the hairs have a slight curl; others are very straight. The hairs on the back of the tail vary in color from a light brown at the tip of the hair to grey at the base on some tails, or to a dark grey black at the base on others.

Blacktail deer have a small tail, the hairs of which are usually from 6 to 8 inches in length. The white hair is more course than that of the eastern or northern deer. The hairs on the back of the tail are almost black.

Muletail deer have a tail which is from 1 inch in diameter to l1/2 inch in diameter. The hair is short and wiry. There is one bunch of black hair at the tip of the tail which can be used in making hair wings of flies, the pattern for which calls for black deer hair. Otherwise the tail of the muletail deer is of no use to the fly tyer.

CALF TAIL HAIR. The hair from a calf tail is used in making a number of flies. The tail is one taken from a very young calf. The length of the tail is from 6 inches to 12 inches. The length of the hair varies from 1/2 inch to as much as 2 inches. The hair ranges from partly straight to curly. It is a solid hair, with a definite sheen or gloss. In color the calf tails are natural white, light brown, dark brown and black. The dyed tails are white tails colored with dye.

Many people prefer calf tail to all other types of hair, although its use is generally recommended only for certain particular types of fishing. Whether calf tails are available depends on cattle raisers and the condition of the cattle market.

BLACK BEAR HAIR. The hair of the black bear is a solid hair which ranges in color from a very dark brown to black. The hair has a certain amount of curl, which gives it a lot of action in the water. Also, there is a gloss to the hair that helps to make the fly more attractive. For flies with black hair wings this type of hair meets every requirement. The hair may be used to make the full wing of the fly, or a few fibres may be used as topping to imitate the back of a minnow. It may be used on any size of hook, from the smallest to the largest, by varying the length of the hairs used.

The underfur may be used for dubbin' bodies of flies.

BROWN BEAR HAIR. The hair of the brown bear varies from a seal brown to a dark brown. Like the hair of the black bear it may be used for anything from a Caddis to a bucktail wing. The hair is solid, has a glossy sheen and its slight curl helps to give action to the fly. The underfur may also be used for dubbin' bodies.

POLAR BEAR HAIR. Polar bear hair is a solid hair which helps to sink the fly under the water. The hair has a translucent sheen which makes it a good attractor of fish. The hair from the back of the animal and from the ruff around its neck range in length from about l4 inches to 2 inches. On any animal these hairs are very uniform in length. These hairs make very beautiful bucktail wing flies. As the hair is hard, it requires some practice to tie on well.

The demand for this hair has increased its cost to the point where many fly tyers are using substitutes for it, although it is still extensively used in making Silver Salmon or Coho flies in the Pacific Northwest. I have found that bucktail is a very good substitute for polar bear hair. Although bucktail does not have the translucent sheen, its action in the water is very much similar to the action of polar bear hair.

There is a great deal of underfur on the back and ruff of this animal. This may be used for spinning, or dubbin', the bodies of flies. The natural sheen of this material makes it a very good body. Because of the wiry character of the material some difficulty may be encountered when you first attempt to use this material. When you become accustomed to spinning the fur for bodies you will want dyed colors as well as the natural color for this purpose. Bodies spun with colored underfur of polar bear will undoubtedly become more common as time passes.

HORSE MANE. The hair from the mane of a horse, in black, brown or white colors, is sometimes used as a body material. This hair has become very popular in one locality where hair flies are a necessity. In other localities it may or may not prove to be a killer of fish. However, it may be well to have a small amount of this hair on hand for wrapping or braiding fly bodies.

Two colors are generally used in making a horse mane body. A dark color is used on the top of the fly and a lighter color is used for the underbody. As an alternative the body may be wrapped with just one color of horse mane hair with a colored stripe of body floss woven lengthwise under the horse mane body. With a tail of either hackle or hair, and hackle in front of the body, the fly will produce fish at times.

HORSE TAIL. The hair from the tail of a horse is much more coarse than the hair from its mane. The colors of horse tail hair vary from white to black. White, brown and black are the colors most frequently used.

This hair is used mostly for the hackle of flies. The hair is attached to the hook in the same manner as deer hair. When tied on as hackle each fibre stands out separately. The action of the hair increases as the hairs become saturated in the water.
 
MOOSE MANE HAIR. The hair from the mane or the ruff of the neck of a moose is quite long, ranging in length from about 3 inches to 7 inches. There are two colors of hair, black and white. The black fibres are about I/3rd less in diameter than the white fibres of hair. When both white and black hair fibres are used in making the body a very active-appearing fly is produced.

The hair from the mane or ruff of the neck is the only hair from a moose which may be used in making flies. The hair on the rest of the body is so short that it is not suitable for such use.

SILVER MONKEY HAIR. On the whole skin of the silver monkey there are 5 distinct colors of hair: white, light brown or natural orange, black, dark reddish chocolate brown, and barred. Each of the colors is appropriate for use in tying flies and the glossy sheen of the hair makes an attractive fly.
 
The hair most frequently used on tied flies is the barred hair from the sides of the skin. This hair ranges in length from about 1 inch to about l1/2 inches. The hair is grey at the base. From the middle of the hair to the tip it is barred with alternate stripes of black and grey.

For hair type wings the hair of the silver monkey is both attractive and surprising. Bunched over the body it makes a beautiful fly and provides the insect-like appearance attractive to fish. Upon using the fly in large streams it has surprised me by taking fish when al.' other types of hair wings have failed.

SKUNK HAIR. The hair of a skunk is black and white. It has a gloss which makes it shine in the sunlight.

 

The short body hair is used in making flies of small size. The underfur may also be used. The hair from this animal most frequently used, however, is from the tail. This is a long, coarse hair which ranges from 4 inches to 8 inches in length. It is used for both hair wings and hair bodies by fly tyers in every locality.

WOLVERINE HAIR. The hair of the wolverine is a very dark brown, glossy and rather stiff. It is highly prized for the making of hair wings. Some of the hair is white in color; other parts of hide have hairs which are orange-colored. The underfur of the animal may be used for dubbin', although this underfur is not as dark in color as the guard hairs.

The complete hide of a wolverine is very expensive. Small pieces of the hide will satisfy the needs of an average fly tyer for some time, and the cost of such pieces is not great.

As a substitute for wolverine hair one may use bear hair or other hair of appropriate color and length. The usual length of the wolverine hairs used for wings is from 1 inch to l1/2 inches.

 (E) FUR

BADGER. The hide of a badger provides both fur and hair which may be used in making flies. The underhair, or fur, may be used for dubbin' bodies, in colors ranging from dark grey to grey or white. The hair of the animal may be substituted for grey squirrel hair. For this purpose the badger has the advantage of providing hairs of greatly varying length, making it suitable for use on very small flies as well as on the largest flies normally tied.

Along the lower portions of the body and the belly of the animal the hair is from white to cream in color. This hair is from 3/4ths inch to l1/2 inches in length. Near the top of the head the hair is quite dark, approaching black, with tips which are from white to cream in color. In length this hair ranges from ½ inch to l¼ inches. On the back of the badger the hair is longer, ranging from about l¼ inches to 3 or 4 inches in length. The base of these longer hairs is light tan in color. At about the center of the hair fibre its color changes to black; toward the tip it again changes, from black to brown and tan; and the tips of these hairs are white. On some badgers there are also hairs that vary from a dark brown to almost black. These hairs are found on either the flank of the forelegs or on the hind legs.

The hair from a badger is used in making the wings of flies of the hair wing type. Such flies are used in fishing for native cutthroat and rainbow trout as well as for the migratory searun cutthroat and steelhead. Flies with badger hair wings are attractive to fish; but you should remember that only prime hides, or pieces from prime hides, will give you the badger hair and underfur that is satisfactory for use in tying flies.

BEAVER FUR. The furs of different fur-bearing animals differ not only in coloration but also in texture and sheen. The fur of the beaver is brown, with very little variation in color of the fur from the various parts of the body. When wet, beaver fur is a darker shade of brown than any other fur. The fur is also much more shiny than other furs.

Beaver fur is more difficult to obtain than many other furs but it is an excellent material for deep brown dubbin' bodies.

MOLE FUR. The whole hide of a mole is about 4 inches by 6 inches in size. In its natural colors it varies from light brown to dark grey. The fur is very short, which makes it more difficult to use as dubbin' material than furs of other animals mentioned here. But when properly spun on the thread it makes a very good body. As an alternative to spinning the fur, the hide may be cut with a razor in narrow strips and wrapped around the shank of the hook, in spirals, to form the body of the fly.

The whole hide of a mole is inexpensive. The skins are sometimes dyed, but the natural colors are generally more desirable.

MUSKRAT FUR. The fur of a muskrat varies in color at the base from a dark cream to an iron dun. The tips of the fur fibres are brownish in tinge. The longer guard hairs may be mixed with the fur to give a more fuzzy appearance, which makes it exceedingly attractive to fish.

The fur and guard hairs are used as dubbin' material for the body of a fly. The fur is somewhat difficult to handle but it is well worth every moment of time spent in preparing it for use.

RABBIT FUR. There are many natural colors of rabbit fur, ranging from pure white to black. Some rabbit fur has a reddish tinge which makes it a suitable substitute for fox belly fur. Other rabbit furs are very light grey. Some are iron dun in color, and even black fur is available.

Rabbit fur is used as dubbin' material for fly bodies. The fur should be of prime quality. Prime quality fur must be taken in the latter part of the cold season.

This fur, in its various colors, is a good substitute for fox belly fur, muskrat fur, beaver fur, mole fur and other furs of the heavier type.

(F) TYING SILK

The thread that is used to attach the materials to the hook is called by a number of different names. It is variously known as snooting thread, wrapping thread, tying thread or tying silk. Any of the names may be used. I prefer to call it tying silk, because that describes the material I prefer to use.

I prefer silk to other types of thread for several reasons. It is easier to maintain a tight tension when wrapping and it holds the material firmly on the hook. There is no change in the strength of silk when it becomes wet and its tension is about the same wet or dry.

The sizes of tying silk available on the market range from size E, the largest, to size 000000 (6/0), the smallest in diameter. For the ordinary fly tyer, however, only the sizes from A to 6/0 will be used. Size A is for tying flies on hooks of size No. 4 and larger. Tying silk size 2/0 is used for hook sizes No. 4, No. 6 and No. 8. Tying silk size 3/0 is used on hooks of size No. 10 and No. 12. Tying silk size 4/0 is for No. 12 and No. 14 hooks. Tying silk size 6/0 is for hooks smaller than No. 14.

I do not say that the use of colored tying silk is wrong, or inappropriate; but I do say that, except for a very, very few patterns, no tying silk other than black or white is necessary. The average fly tyer can tie all of the flies that he will ever need, having only these two colors of tying silk in his kit.

Some fly tyers tie all of their flies with a particular color of tying silk. Perhaps the color has been selected, and is used, as a sort of trade mark, to identify the flies which that person ties. Other fly tyers have certain peculiarities of tying which serves to identify the flies they tie as their product, so that the flies are immediately recognizable as tied by a certain person. Tom Harper, a very well-known tyer in the high Sierra country of California, put a peculiar finish on the head of his flies. As soon as you saw one of his flies you knew that Tom had tied it. The use of colored tying silk of a particular shade may serve a similar identifying purpose; but except for such a purpose the use of colored silk isn't really necessary.

Black tying silk is used for dark flies. For flies that range in color from ginger to white, use white tying silk.

(G) BODY FLOSS

Rayon floss is the most satisfactory floss to use in making the bodies of flies. It is durable, wears well. It adheres well to the shank of hook, and remains in place better. The color does not vary when it is wet. Some materials used in making flies will become from one to three shades darker when wet than they are when dry.

Rayon floss may be purchased in various colors, wrapped on small spools convenient for the use of fly tyers. The floss consists of two strands. The two strands come off the spool together, and are always wrapped on together unless the tying instructions are explicitly to the contrary. My preference is the two strand, though it comes in one, two and four strand spools.

(H) TINSEL

Tinsel is a metallic tape which is a necessity in the tying of flies. Tinsel comes in several different sizes. The size to be used varies with the size of the hook upon which the fly is being tied.

Tinsel is made in a number of different colors, among which red, green and blue are most common. However, silver tinsel and gold tinsel are by far the most used.

The surface of tinsel is either smooth or embossed. Embossed tinsel is "gimped" by running it between two rollers, making its surface uneven. I personally like embossed tinsel more than the smooth, or flat, surface tinsel. Although it is a little more brittle when embossed, the uneven surface makes a better reflector of light —and increases the chances of the fish seeing and being attracted to the fly, as it moves through the water.

Tinsel has a very definite tendency to tarnish. This tendency is greater when the tinsel is kept in the open and exposed either to sunshine or to damp air. This exposure causes oxidation and eventual tarnish on the surface of the tinsel. The best way to protect tinsel from tarnish is to keep it in a dark place—a drawer or a box. To avoid tarnish on the tinsel which you wrap on flies you may coat the tinsel with lacquer before you wrap it. Place a drop of lacquer on your forefinger and draw the tinsel through, between your thumb and forefinger.

(I) CHENILLE

The chenille most commonly used in fly tying is made of rayon fibres. These fibres are twisted, or woven, between two threads of the same color as the chenille. Some chenille is made of silk. My preference, however, is for rayon chenille because it is a little more wiry, and the fullness of the body remains after immersing it in water. Rayon chenille is available in a wide variety of colors; silk chenille is, at this time, obtainable only in black.

Another type of chenille is made of silver or gold tinsel. This type provides a metallic sheen, but its use is limited.

Still another type of rayon chenille has a ribbing of either silver or gold color. The ribbing is not metallic, but an acetate tape. When wrapped on the body of a fly small spots of the silver or gold color show in the body. It gives a different effect, which may be quite desirable under some fishing conditions.

The size of the chenille to be used on a fly depends upon the size of the hook upon which it is being tied. Rayon chenille is manufactured in seven different sizes, but the average fly tyer needs only three sizes for the flies he will tie. The following table shows my preferences as to the size of chenille to be used.

Chenille         Maker's               Common
number size   number                designation       Hook Sizes

No. 1            00                       Small                No. 10 - No. 16
No. 2            3                         Medium            No. 6 - No. 10

                                                                        Makes very thin body on No.
                                                                        6 hook, a very full body on
                                                                        No. 10 hook.
No. 3            6                         Large               No. 1/0 - No. 6
                                                                        Makes a full body on No. 6
                                                                        hook and a thin body on No.
                                                                        1/0 hook.

NOTE

This description of fly tying materials is condensed and simplified to cover only the basic materials of fly tying and to describe them in common terms, so that the young man of 10 years as well as the person of 60 or more may read and understand. There are many other kinds of materials and many other types and colors of feathers, hair and fur that are used in tying flies. A complete description of all the feathers, hair and fur, from the many other birds and animals, would fill several volumes of substantial size. An exhaustive, technical description of fly tying materials was not the aim here. The materials here described are only the ones used by the beginning fly tyer.

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