Today's traditionals

How would the great UK fly tyers of yesteryear have adaped their dressings if today's materials had been available to them? asks George Barron.

I recently sat in on a fly-tying demonstration being given by an eminent English fly dresser.

His topic for the evening was simply to ‘Keep it Traditional’ as the majority of the rednecks were dyed-in-the-wool, long-in-the-tooth fishermen who spend a fair proportion of their pensions and leisure time trying to catch trout on Welsh hill lakes. At the end of a memorable evening the final impressive tally of flies read: one beautifully dressed Royal Wulff, a Deer Hair Sedge, a split-winged dry river Olive and four or five assorted stillwater and river Nymphs. All the patterns were served up with a comprehensive history regarding construction plus the necessary when and where to fish them.

Reflecting on the evening over the next few days, I became somewhat embroiled in an argument with myself as I asked the question: “what’s traditional?”

After the best part of a lifetime spent walking, stalking, rowing, motoring and drifting through most of the UK and Ireland, and having given many fly-tying demonstrations myself, I tried to imagine if, given the same remit as an English dresser, which patterns I would tie if confronted by an eclectic, international audience.

As a fisherman first, I have always been more excited at the prospect of using a cast of wet flies. When well tied, most of them are truly works of art, put together from very basic materials with an acquired skill, producing a finished product capable of seducing or fooling Mr Trout. It would be too easy to simply sit down and tie a couple of ‘traditional’ patterns from each of the home countries as if scripted. So let’s imagine some of today’s modern fly-tying materials were available to some of the great traditional tyers of yesteryear and how they may have adapted or incorporated them into their dressings to improve or enhance them. Materials creating flash were the major missing factor in older dressings and early gold and silver wire and tinsel seemed to tarnish very quickly, unlike today’s high-tech products.

Let’s begin the journey in Wales. Most of the bigger trout food items in this part of the UK are terrestrial. While some areas get reasonable olive hatches, the most exciting species on offer would be beetles and sedges and these would be my choice of patterns from the Principality. As Ireland has its Green Peter, Wales has its Concoction. Sonny Owen’s original pattern is long-established and has a successful history around the major stillwaters which are far from its home on the banks of Llyn Trawsfynydd. The profile of this fly is textbook and it oozes life so I won’t mess around with it too much in this traditional make-over. The original wing material, which was owl wing, would be almost impossible for most people to acquire so I simply use a light coloured hen pheasant secondary. The thorax area gives greater flexibility for change, so try substituting red glister for the traditional seal’s fur. I love this material on pulling flies – especially sedge patterns. Well brushed out, it creates a lovely lifelike glow to the dressing.

Glister Concoction
Hook:	Size 10 or 12 wet fly.
Thread:	Black.
Rib:	UTC wire, hot yellow.
Body:	Rear two thirds -apple green seal’s fur; front third - red Glister.
Body Hackle:	Light red game cock.
Wing:	Hen pheasant secondary.
Head Hackle:	Light red game – longish hen.

Another fairly bland pattern that has done very well, during May and June particularly on Llyn Vyrnwy, is a less tinkered-with standard, the Harry Tom. Dressed just slightly heavier than the original, with a pearly rib instead of copper, plus the addition of two small filaments of crystal hair, this is a nicely balanced pattern. Fished on the middle dropper of a three-fly cast, it will often pick up the best fish of the day.

Pearly Harry
Hook:	Size 12 wet fly.
Thread:	Tan.
Tail:	Summer Duck.
Rib:	Medium pearly.
Body:	Mix 3/4 hare’s ear; 1/4 light olive seal’s fur.
Wing:	Summer duck.
Hackle:	3 turns blue Andalusian hen.
Slips:	Crystal hair.

Read George's article in full and find out which other traditional UK and Ireland flies he says benefit from modern materials in the June 2006 issue of Fly Fishing & Fly Tying magazine.