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Fully dressed flies are elaborate and colorful
Parts of a fully dressed fly, as listed in Kelson's 1895 book, are shown below.
The key to the figure as explained by Kelson with comments in parenthesis are listed below.
*A. Gut loop (hook eye)
*B.Tag, Here in two sections, silver twist followed by floss silk, a small portion tied on the bend before the tail (usually floss or tinsel)
* C. C. Tail, of a topping and usually of a crow feathers (usually feather fibers (i.e. feather tippets,
artificial flies
An artificial fly or fly lure is a type of fishing lure, usually used in the sport of fly fishing (although they may also be used in other forms of angling). In general, artificial flies are an imitation of aquatic insects that are natural food of ...
used in fly fishing
Fly fishing is an angling method that uses a light-weight lure—called an artificial fly—to catch fish. The fly is cast using a fly rod, reel, and specialized weighted line. The light weight requires casting techniques significantly diffe ...
. The most famous of these are the classic salmon flies, which are exquisite patterns made from mostly rare and beautiful materials and feather
Feathers are epidermal growths that form a distinctive outer covering, or plumage, on both avian (bird) and some non-avian dinosaurs and other archosaurs. They are the most complex integumentary structures found in vertebrates and a premier ...
s, including golden pheasant
The golden pheasant (''Chrysolophus pictus''), also known as the Chinese pheasant, and rainbow pheasant, is a gamebird of the order Galliformes (gallinaceous birds) and the family Phasianidae (pheasants). The genus name is from Ancient Greek ' ...
s, toucan
Toucans (, ) are members of the Neotropical near passerine bird family Ramphastidae. The Ramphastidae are most closely related to the American barbets. They are brightly marked and have large, often colorful bills. The family includes five ge ...
s, swan
Swans are birds of the family (biology), family Anatidae within the genus ''Cygnus''. The swans' closest relatives include the goose, geese and ducks. Swans are grouped with the closely related geese in the subfamily Anserinae where they form t ...
s, and ivory-billed woodpecker
The ivory-billed woodpecker (''Campephilus principalis'') is a possibly extinct woodpecker that is native to the bottomland hardwood forests and temperate coniferous forests of the Southern United States and Cuba. Habitat destruction and hunting ...
s. These flies have been popular in the United Kingdom since the 19th century. Fully dressed flies are often meant for display and are not used in actual fishing. Many patterns are expensive to tie because of the cost of rare feathers.
Parts
Parts of a fully dressed fly, as listed in Kelson's 1895 book, are shown below.
The key to the figure as explained by Kelson with comments in parenthesis are listed below.
*A. Gut loop (hook eye)
*B.Tag, Here in two sections, silver twist followed by floss silk, a small portion tied on the bend before the tail (usually floss or tinsel)
* C. C. Tail, of a topping and usually of a crow feathers (usually feather fibers (i.e. feather tippets, hackle
The hackle is a clipped plume or short spray of coloured feathers that is attached to a military headdress, with different colours being associated with particular regiments.
In the British Army and the armies of some Commonwealth countries, ...
)
* D1, D2, D3. Butts Between D1 (tail butts) and D3 (head butts) lies the body divided in this type of fly into two sections by D2 (section butt), each section having 5 ribs of tinsel; D3 is here preceded by (in order of construction) by Toucan feathers above and below. (small ball of fur dubbing, herl, or Krystal Flash; tied after the tail and before the body (similar to midsection, shoulder)
*E. Hackle, here distinguished as "Upper section hackle". When wound over the whole length of the fly it is termed "Body Hackle" (Throat/Beard-fibers tied like a nymph fly's beard that is only on the bottom of the hook and extends to the point (i.e. Guinea, Honey Dun Hackle).
*E2. Throat Hackle, usually written "throat"
*F. Under wing. Here of "White tipped turkey"
*G. Over Wing, in most flies capped with a "topping" (the most complicated and intricate part; usually made from feathers and tips of feathers (i.e. turkey
Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...
, duck
Duck is the common name for numerous species of waterfowl in the family Anatidae. Ducks are generally smaller and shorter-necked than swans and geese, which are members of the same family. Divided among several subfamilies, they are a form t ...
, bustard
Bustards, including floricans and korhaans, are large, terrestrial birds living mainly in dry grassland areas and on the steppes of the Old World. They range in length from . They make up the family Otididae (, formerly known as Otidae). Bustards ...
, jay
A jay is a member of a number of species of medium-sized, usually colorful and noisy, passerine birds in the Crow family, Corvidae. The evolutionary relationships between the jays and the magpies are rather complex. For example, the Eurasian m ...
) either separate feathers or married feathers. Usually the color complements the body and presents a theme.
*HH. Horns
*J. Sides (thin feather sections tied before the cheeks, in an angle similar to the wing angle.)
*K. Cheeks (small feather tied on each side of the wing
A wing is a type of fin that produces lift while moving through air or some other fluid. Accordingly, wings have streamlined cross-sections that are subject to aerodynamic forces and act as airfoils. A wing's aerodynamic efficiency is expres ...
just before tying the head, contrasts the wing and body slightly)
*L. Head (usually thread or fur, tied in at the end behind the eye; usually with thread it is tied to present a smooth "head"; with fur to hide small tips left from the wing (with same purpose as thread head))
*1. A line showing the proper length of the tail and wing beyond the hook-bend
*2. Indicates the place of the first coil of the tag relatively to the hook-barb, the best barb supplying the best guide to the eye in initial operation of tying on the "tag" material.
*3. Indicates place on the hook-shank (relatively to the hook-point), at which ends of the gut loop should terminate, leaving the gap, for adjustment
See also
*The Salmon Fly
''The Salmon Fly'' - ''How to Dress It and How to Use It'' is a fly fishing book written by George M. Kelson published in London in 1895 by Messers. Wyman & Sons, Limited. This Victorian guide to fly fish tying built up the illusion that angli ...
by George Kelson
George Mortimer Kelson (8 December 1835 – 29 March 1920) was an English amateur cricketer, sport angler, and self-promotional author who played for Kent County Cricket Club in the 19th century.
Biography
Kelson was born in Sevenoaks in 18 ...
Gallery
References
{{Fly fishing Artificial flies