Speys, Dees and Tays

The Deschutes River Dees

2012-01-28T11:15:00.000-08:00

Back when I was in college, in Olympia, Washington state, I became acquainted with the Deschutes River, which runs through town. ( Washington's Deschutes River) Seeing and hooking nice fish convinced me that this was a river to remember. Ten years or so later, moving back to Olympia renewed my interest in the river and it's sea-run cutthroat trout, steelhead and salmon. This was about the time everyone in the fly fishing community was buzzing about Spey flies and to a lesser extent Dees, so I decided to do a Dee/ Spey style fly for the Deschutes trout. Not being satisfied with just one colour however, I eventually came up with ten, then later added the Red Special as the eleventh. Characterized by a two part body, and the use of "truffle" turkey for the wing, with married in strips of various colour goose, these look good and fish well. They have met with a good reception where-ever I have shown them. They are a little complicated to tie however, so eventually I moved on to other patterns. Browsing my files the other day however reminded me of the fun I had with these, so I thought I would share. Pardon the photos. They were taken with one of the first digital cameras on the market. Not bad for an old camera.
Truffle turkey is a colour of turkey we bred that has a deep chocolate irregular mottling in the tail, with a lot of iridescence, quite unlike domestic or standard wild turkey on the market. It is much darker, and reminds one of deep chocolate truffles, hence the name.

Pattern #1 Deschutes River Dee, Red

Hook: Partridge N single low water size 1

Thread: black 8/0 uni-thread

Tag: fine gold thread and claret silk

Tail: topping and barred wood duck

Body: 4 equal parts Fiery orange SLF #16, Fiery claret SLF # 13, Fiery brown SLF#35, Black SLF# 41

Rib: oval gold tinsel

Hackle: black over all, guinea dyed red over front half

Collar: lemon wood duck

Wings: a pair of truffle turkey tail covert strips, tied flat

Cheeks: jungle cock drooping

Pattern 2 Deschutes River Dee, Blue

Hook: Partridge N single low water size 1

Thread: black 8/0 uni-thread

Tag: fine silver thread and canary yellow silk

Tail: topping and kingfisher

Butt: black ostrich herl

Body: in two halves; rear, flat silver tinsel veiled with two matched kingfisher side by side, above and below, butted with black ostrich herl. Front, darkest blue, almost black silk

Rib: oval silver tinsel over both halves individually

Hackle: guinea dyed blue

Collar: lemon wood duck

Wings: a pair of truffle turkey tail covert strips, with narrow strip of blue goose shoulder married through the middle, tied flat

Cheeks: jungle cock drooping

Pattern 3 Deschutes River Dee, Yellow

Hook: Partridge N single low water size 1

Thread: black 8/0 uni-thread

Tag: fine silver thread and chartreuse silk

Tail: topping and tippet in strands

Butt: black ostrich herl

Body: in two halves; rear buttercup yellow silk veiled above and below with yellow macaw in strands, butted with black ostrich herl. Front, Black SLF#41

Rib: oval gold tinsel on both halves individually.

Hackle: guinea dyed yellow

Collar: peacock breast

Wings: a pair of truffle turkey tail covert strips, with narrow strip of yellow goose shoulder married through the middle, tied flat

Cheeks: jungle cock drooping

Pattern 4 Deschutes River Dee, grizzled

Hook: Partridge N single low water size 1

Thread: black 8/0 uni-thread

Tag: flat silver tinsel

Tail: topping and barred wood duck

Butt: black ostrich herl

Body: in two halves, rear; flat silver tinsel veiled with oily black rooster saddle in strand, above and below, butted with black ostrich herl. Front, Black SLF#41

Rib: oval silver tinsel, front half only

Hackle: natural black and white guinea

Collar: teal

Wings: a pair of truffle turkey tail covert strips, with narrow strip of white/black/white goose shoulder married through the middle, tied flat

Cheeks: jungle cock drooping

Pattern 5 Deschutes River Dee, Peacock and Orange

Hook: Partridge N single low water size 1

Thread: black 8/0 uni-thread

Tag: fine silver thread and canary yellow silk

Tail: topping and tippet in strands

Butt: black ostrich herl

Body: in two halves, rear hot orange SLF#15, Front, peacock herl

Rib: oval silver tinsel over all

Hackle: hot orange over all, guinea dyed chartreuse over front half.

Collar: peacock breast

Wings: a pair of truffle turkey tail covert strips, with narrow strip of green goose shoulder married through the middle, tied flat

Cheeks: jungle cock drooping

Pattern 6 Deschutes River Dee, Sunburst

Hook: Partridge N single low water size 1

Thread: black 8/0 uni-thread

Tag: fine silver thread and canary yellow silk

Tail: topping and golden pheasant breast in strands

Butt: black ostrich herl

Body: in four equal parts, Hot orange SLF#15, Fiery orange SLF#16, Crimson SLF#17, Fiery claret SLF#13,

Rib: oval gold tinsel

Hackle: yellow over all, guinea dyed red from the Crimson SLF#17

Collar: lemon wood duck

Wings: a pair of truffle turkey tail strips, with narrow strip of yellow/orange/red goose shoulder married through the middle, tied flat

Cheeks: jungle cock drooping

Pattern 7 Deschutes River Dee, Orange and Blue

Hook: Partridge N single low water size 1

Thread: black 8/0 uni-thread

Tag: fine gold thread and canary yellow silk

Butt: black ostrich herl

Tail: topping and kingfisher

Body: in two halves, rear orange silk veiled with golden pheasant breast in strands, butted with black ostrich herl. Front, peacock herl

Rib: fine gold thread over rear half, wound close (6 turns), oval gold tinsel over front half

Hackle: guinea dyed orange

Collar: golden pheasant back

Wings: a pair of truffle turkey tail strips, with narrow strip of yellow/blue/orange goose shoulder married through the middle, tied flat

Cheeks: jungle cock drooping

Pattern 8 Deschutes River Dee, Yellow and Blue

Hook: Partridge N single low water size 1

Thread: black 8/0 uni-thread

Tag: fine silver thread and canary yellow silk

Butt: black ostrich herl

Tail: topping and kingfisher

Body: in two halves, rear canary yellow silk veiled with golden pheasant breast in strands, butted with black ostrich herl. Front, peacock herl

Rib: fine silver thread over rear half, wound close (6 turns), oval silver tinsel over front half

Hackle: guinea dyed yellow

Collar: cobalt blue vulturine guinea fowl

Wings: a pair of truffle turkey tail strips, with narrow strip of orange/blue/ yellow goose shoulder married through the middle, tied flat

Cheeks: jungle cock drooping

Pattern 9 Deschutes River Dee, Gold and Green

Hook: Partridge N single low water size 1

Thread: black 8/0 uni-thread

Tag: flat gold tinsel

Butt: black ostrich herl

Tail: topping and golden pheasant breast in strand

Body: in two halves, rear; flat gold tinsel veiled with peacock rump in strand, above and below, butted with black ostrich herl. Front, mallard green silk

Rib: oval gold tinsel over both halves separately

Hackle: guinea dyed yellow

Collar: lemon wood duck

Wings: a pair of truffle turkey tail strips tied flat

Cheeks: jungle cock drooping

Pattern 10 Deschutes River Dee, The Godfather

Hook: Partridge N single low water size 1

Thread: black 8/0 uni-thread

Tag: flat silver tinsel

Butt: black ostrich herl

Tail: topping and kingfisher

Body: in two halves, rear; flat silver tinsel veiled with oily black rooster saddle in strand, above and below, butted with black ostrich herl. Front, Black silk

Rib: oval silver tinsel over both halves separately

Hackle: natural black and white guinea

Collar: striped vulturine guinea

Wings: a pair of goose shoulder strips married as follows; 2 strands black, 2 strands white, 2 strands black, 1 strand white, 1 strand blue, 1 strand white, 2 strands black, 2 strands white, 2 strands black

Cheeks: jungle cock drooping

Pattern #11 Deschutes River Dee, Red Special

Hook: Partridge N single low water size 1

Thread: black 8/0 uni-thread

Tag: fine gold thread and claret silk

Tail: topping and barred wood duck

Body: 4 equal parts Fiery orange SLF #16, Fiery claret SLF # 13, Fiery brown SLF#35, Black SLF# 41

Rib: oval gold tinsel

Hackle: black over all, guinea dyed red over front half

Collar: lemon wood duck

Wings: a pair of truffle turkey tail covert strips, with narrow strips married red/black/red goose shoulder in the middle, narrow strip of purple goose shoulder on the outside edge. tied flat

Cheeks: jungle cock drooping

The Quilled Eagle

2010-06-17T12:53:00.000-07:00

George Kelson writes of the Quilled Eagle "I rarely use any other "Eagle" but this, though I sometimes dress it with a yellow instead of a grey hackle." He lists himself as the inventor.

The Quilled Eagle - dressed grey, as per George M. Kelson

Tag: Silver twist and quill dyed yellow.
Tail: A topping, and two strands of Peacock herl (sword feather) of Bustard and Ibis.
Butt: Black herl.
Body: Quill dyed yellow, leaving space for four turns of orange Seal's fur at the throat.
Ribs: Silver tinsel (oval).
Hackle: A grey Eagle hackle, from centre.
Throat: Gallina (spotted feather).
Wings: Two tippets (back to back) veiled with extending Jungle, a strip of Ibis and Bustard, and a topping.
Sides: Jungle (to centre of former pair).

The Quilled Eagle - dressed yellow, as per George M. Kelson

Tag: Silver twist and quill dyed yellow.
Tail: A topping, and two strands of Peacock herl (sword feather) of Bustard and Ibis.
Butt: Black herl.
Body: Quill dyed yellow, leaving space for four turns of orange Seal's fur at the throat.
Ribs: Silver tinsel (oval).
Hackle: A yellow dyed Eagle hackle, from centre.
Throat: Gallina (spotted feather).
Wings: Two tippets (back to back) veiled with extending Jungle, a strip of Ibis and Bustard, and a topping.
Sides: Jungle (to centre of former pair).

The same pattern is found in Hardy, but not in Hale, who lists only one "Eagle," the Grey Eagle of a Mr. Murdoch. I have not found the Quilled Eagle mentioned in any other of the old Masters.

The Jock o'Dee

2010-05-16T05:37:00.000-07:00

"How to Dress Salmon Flies," by Dr. T. E. Pryce-Tannatt lists only eight Dee flies, with two of them being found no-where else to my knowledge. The Jock o'Dee is one of them. Obviously based on the Jock Scott, this pattern is equally as lovely, in my opinion, though as he writes nothing about the pattern other then the actual pattern, I do not know if it was as successful as its parent fly.

The Jock-o' Dee as per Dr. T. E. Pryce-Tannatt - How to Dress Salmon Flies, 1914

Tag: Silver tinsel.

Tail: A topping and Indian crow.

Body: Two-fifths, lemon floss; remainder, black floss.

Ribs: Flat silver tinsel and twist.

Hackle: A grey heron’s hackle from third turn of tinsel.

Throat: Widgeon.

Wings: A pair of cinnamon turkey tail strips (set flat).

Hook: 1½ to 3 inches.

A Modern Spey fly - The Cockroach Spey

2010-02-13T18:35:00.000-08:00

What inspired me to tie this was a style of winging I found in John Shewey’s book, “Spey Flies and Dee Flies, Their History and Construction.” Frank Amato Publications Inc, Portland OR. 2002. It is a take off on a style I first encountered tying the Syd Glasso Spey-style flies and having the hoodie available, thanks to a friend, I decided to see what it would inspire.

The pattern is as follows:
Hook: Partridge CS10/1
Body: 2/3 flat copper tinsel, 1/3 black seal
Rib: medium oval copper tinsel, cross rib with fine gold tinsel over the hackle
Hackle: Blue eared pheasant all the way up
Throat: 2 turns black and white spotted guinea
Wing: four hooded merganser flank feathers tented low and wide
Cheeks: jungle cock, short
Head: red

Why I called it the Cockroach I do not know except that it does look buggy and at the time I was tying up imitation cockroaches for a costume. I present two views of it in order to show how the wings should look, and because I think the photograph turned out pretty neat. I can see this one tied with real black heron. It would look even better I think.

A Spey fly - The Dallas fly

2010-02-09T09:02:00.000-08:00

The Dallas Fly, so named for a Mr. John Dallas, the inventor, is a pretty typical Spey fly. It has a short body composed of Berlin wool, multiple ribs, and a hackle composed of black Spey cock. The wing however sets it apart from other more typical Spey flies in that it is composed of strips of cinnamon turkey tail rather then bronze or grey mallard. It also has a woolen head rather then the minuscule plain black one of the other typical Spey flies.

Kelson writes, “This capital fly on the Spey was christened by Mr. Little Gilmore. Like other local patterns, the body is short and begins a full 1/8 of an inch in front of the point of the hook. The description given is from a pattern forwarded by Mr. C. M. Burn's “Fisherman at Pitcroy;” and proved to be correct by one being sent to me by Dallas himself.”

The pattern I am showing here is from George M. Kelson’s “The Salmon Fly” and goes as follows:
Body: three turns of yellow Berlin wool, followed by black wool
Ribs: silver tinsel, gold tinsel (orange, narrow), red thread and blue thread, all running in equal distance apart.
Hackle: a black Spey cocks from the end of the body, but wound the reverse way and so crossing over the ribs.
Throat: a red hackle from the golden pheasant
Wings: two strips of plain cinnamon turkey
Head: orange wool, picked out.

Contrary to the above pattern, but in accordance with Kelson’s own principles of fly construction, I have tied this one with the hackle running with the ribs, except for the fine gold thread, which runs over and across the ribs and hackle, thus pinning them down and helping to protect the hackle. I do not think Kelson would mind this slight alteration given the superiority of the construction compared to the original pattern. I am sure the fish won’t mind.

The pattern found in Hardy corresponds exactly with the pattern above. Hale does not mention it and superficial examination of Francis Francis does not reveal it either. Knox does not list it either. There is a nice photo in Bates's, “Fishing Atlantic Salmon, the Flies and the Patterns.”. 1996, page 202, plate 75 showing a variation, but not listing a pattern for it. The one shown has a tail and topping of golden pheasant crest, and a collar in red cock by the look of it, with what looks like a silver body and black ostrich butt. The hackle is long and black though, as expected of a Spey fly. I can not tell what the wing is comprised of, but there does not appear to be any colour in it.

Mikael Frodin lists this pattern in his book “Classic Salmon Flies, History and Patterns.” 1991, but does not add much beyond what I have written here about the details of it.

I would be interested to get a pattern for the Bates variation, and any other variations of this fly.

A Dee Fly - The Tricolour

2009-12-18T09:26:00.000-08:00

The Tricolour. This fly, from George M. Kelson's book "The Salmon Fly" is a typical Dee fly of the day. Long shanked, slender in profile, with widely splayed wings of cinnamon turkey tail. It's perhaps distinguishing feature is the long grey heron hackle, where the usual was a long black heron on most standard Dee flies of the time.
Mikael Frodin in the "Classic Salmon Flies..." 1991, states that he is unable to determine any origins for this fly but that it "originates from the first two or three decades of the 19th century." Of this I have no doubt myself. I have perused the books and the web and likewise find little enough mention, and nothing really helpful. It certainly has all the hallmarks of an older pattern like most of the Dees were. The pattern is as follows:

The Tricolour, as per Kelson
Tag: silver twist
Tail: red breast feather of the golden pheasant
Body: yellow, light blue and scarlet seal's fur
Ribs: silver lace and silver tinsel
Hackle: natural grey heron from the blue fur
Throat: widgeon (teal in large patterns)
Wings: two strips of plain cinnamon turkey

The only other author I found to mention this pattern besides Kelson and Frodin was Dr. T. E. Pryce-Tannatt in his book "How to Dress Salmon Flies"
My third edition (the 1977 ed.) lists it as the Tricolor and has the pattern as follows:
The Tricolor, as per Dr. T. E. Pryce-Tannatt
Hook: 1 1/2 - 3 inches
Tag: silver tinsel
Tail: topping and tip of a red breast feather of the golden pheasant
Body: pale yellow, light blue and scarlet seal's fur
Ribs: flat silver tinsel and twist
Hackle: natural grey heron from the third turn of tinsel
Throat: teal
Wings: (As in Akroyd) two strips of plain cinnamon turkey

A photo will be posted here soon of this albeit slight variation from the older Kelson version.

A Spey Fly- The Davidson Spey

2009-12-17T17:01:00.000-08:00

The Spey flies with their low slung wings of bronze mallard, and distinctive Spey cock hackles (usually, occasionally heron was used) were a group of flies often described as dowdy or dull. That they retained a place in today's fly wallets, despite being nearly replaced over a century ago by the 'gaudy flies,' and being little remembered by the more modern masters (Knox lists 16 patterns for the Spey, who else since lists all 16, and how many others were there that didn't make it into text?) is interesting. Peculiar to look at when compared to the gaudy flies, odd to tie, as often things are reversed from what was the usual pattern, and certainly not fancy, why have they been kept around? Resembling a loose interpretation of a shrimp or prawn perhaps to a salmon, they are deadly. When introduced to the Pacific Northwest steelhead, they were equally as lethal. I introduce the Spey flies with my own pattern, the Davidson Spey

The Davidson Spey
There are several salmon flies listed by various authors named the Davidson, or the Davidson something or other. This fly is not related to any of them. This is my own creation, based on the colours of the Davidson tartan, and named in honour of a friend of mine, and the Davidson Clan to which she is related.

The Davidson Spey
Hook: Daiichi Alec Jackson Spey #1.5
Body: 3/5 dark green seal, 1/5 dark blue seal, 1/5 black seal
Ribbing: Broad flat silver, medium oval gold, with red floss over the flat silver. Fine oval silver crossing the hackle
Hackle: oily black Spey cock, lemon wood duck at the shoulder
Wing: Bronze mallard with light grey roots

A Dee fly -The Tartan

2009-12-17T16:16:00.000-08:00

Francis Francis presents two flies named the Tartan in his 1867 book, "A Book on Angling," and I have taken the liberty to quote directly from that book as follows:

"The Tartan (Plate XII. fig. l,p. 357) is a strange looking fly and is rather a troublesome fly to dress. Tag, gold tinsel; tail, gold pheasant rump; body, half orange and half scarlet-red mohair laid on sparely, of course; broad-ish gold tinsel also spare; hackle, first a stripped sandy-red cock's hackle (that is, only one side of it to be used, the other being stripped off), and on top of this, the large blue-grey hackle or feather from the heron's back and rump; the larger the better, they cannot be too large, as when the hackle is laid on, the fibres are expected to extend from the very head to the farthest bend of the hook. It is an awkward feather to lay on, as are all heron's hackles, being very delicate. It should be tied in, to commence from as low down as it can be conveniently tied, so as to leave enough for a good thick brush from the head. If in winding on the hackle, any of the red hackle fibres under it be wound in, they must be picked out afterwards with the needle, and put in their proper position. At the shoulder, a teal hackle of course. Wings, two strips of silver-grey mottled turkey (the small mottled feather); these feathers are not easy to get. When this fly is finished, and before it is properly pressed down into shape, it looks like an enormous spider, or daddy long-legs; it certainly is a monstrosity, though, after all, not such a monstrosity as The Eagle,..."

He goes on to describe several Eagle patterns there-after, and eventually I will get to them, in another post. His second Tartan, a Tay fly is much different then the above, and one I have not tied yet, but will one of these days. Again quoting from the man himself, or at least, his book; "The Tartan (Tay).—Tag, silver twist; tail, a slice of tippet and orange-yellow pig's wool; but, peacock herl; body, pig's wool as follows, orange, yellow, bright pea-green, red, and blue grey, dressed rough and picked out; broad silver tinsel; hackle gallina at shoulder; wing, slips of grey and light-brown turkey, sprigs of yellow, red, and lavender swan with a bunch of peacock herl over all; peacock head."

Sir Herbert Maxwell also lists the Dee Tartan, his pattern being identical to that of Francis Francis, and seen at left. His commentary on Dees however is most interesting. He says, "This is the Dee Tartan (the Tay boasts one of its own). It may be taken as the type of the old-fashioned Dee fly dressed on a very long shanked hook. There are endless modifications of them, the long heron hackles, both black and grey, being a conspicuous feature, and they used to be invariably finished off with a teal or pin-tail hackle at the shoulder. It is difficult to get feathers long enough in the fibre to wing these long hooks, and it was an ancient practice to tie in a second pair of wings half way down the body. Flies so dressed swim very nicely."

A Dee fly - The Moonlight

2009-12-17T15:24:00.000-08:00

The Moonlight is in my opinion one of the most sublimely beautiful of the Dee flies. It was designed by Dr. T. E. Pryce-Tannatt, and found in his book "How to Dress Salmon Flies," A & C Black, 1914. The pattern is listed below:
Hook: 1 1/2 to 3 inches
Tag: silver tinsel
Tail: topping and a pair of Jungle Cock feathers (back to back)
Body: in two halves- first half, silver tinsel veiled above and below with a pair (or two pairs) of blue chatterer feathers (back to back); second half, black floss
Ribs: fine oval silver tinsel over the flat silver tinsel; broader oval gold tinsel over the black floss
Hackle: a black herons hackle over the black floss
Throat: speckled gallina
Wings: (as in the Akroyd)
From the Akroyd in Pryce-Tannatt,
"Wings: a pair of cinnamon turkey tail strips (set flat) White Turkey tail strips are often used,... in which case it is known as a White Winged Akroyd"
In this rendition I have used kingfisher as I simply do not have chatterer, and kingfisher is the accepted sub.