A Dee Fly - The Tricolour

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.