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Salmon Flies
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Although salmon fly fishing was fairly widely practised in Scotland as early
as the eighteenth century, it was not until the nineteenth century
that the development of the Salmon fly really took off. The art of
the salmon fly dresser reached its height in the Victorian era,
when the earlier rather drab Scottish fly patterns of William Scrope
(e.g. Meg in her Braws, Kinmont Willie) were supplanted by a flood
of highly complex and exotic creations (Jock Scott, Silver Doctor,
Dusty Miller, Mar Lodge). The popularity of these gaudy patterns
continued into the twentieth century when they were gradually
modified, simplified and supplemented by more sensible salmon flies.
First the low water style of fly dressing was applied to earlier
patterns (Logie, Jeannie, Blue Charm). Then, particularly from the
1950's, began the development of the modern hairwing salmon fly (Hairy
Mary, Garry, Stoat's Tail, Munro's Killer), which we know so well
today. For
photographs of traditional fully dressed Scottish salmon flies, see
the salmon fly |
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| NEW for 2008 ! |
| GRAYS NEEDLE TUBES |
| Slim Stainless Steel Fly Tying
Tubes |
| Needle Tubes, newly
developed and manufactured in Scotland by Grays of
Kilsyth, are now
available online in a variety of lengths and
diameters.
The thinnest tube has an outside
diameter of only 1.2 mm, allowing the fly tyer to make
very slim salmon and sea trout flies, such as the simple
Cascade shown on the right. |
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Scottish Salmon Flies
I list below just a small
selection of some of the most renowned traditional Scottish salmon
flies, spanning more than a century of Scottish salmon fly fishing.
see also
Tube Flies
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Logie
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One of
our most successful low water patterns, sparsely dressed in the
style of A.H.E.Wood, tenant of Cairnton on the Aberdeenshire Dee
from 1913 to 1934, during which time he killed 3,490 salmon,
most of them on the greased line. The Logie was also a favourite
salmon fly of Frederick Hill who, during the nineteen forties, was gillie
to Captain H.T. Musker at Carlogie, another good low water beat
on the Dee. In "Salmon Fishing", 1948, he wrote, "From the
beginning of April onwards, the Logie is one of our most deadly
flies." The tying shown is the generally accepted dressing and
Hill's preference for early season, fished on a size 4 hook.
Tied on a size 1 hook, it was his favourite for high and
coloured water. |
Jeannie
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The Jeannie is another
low water salmon fly, whose popularity, like that of the Logie,
Blue Charm and Silver Blue, has spread far beyond the Dee, where
it originated. Another of Frederick Hill's favourites for the
early season, again fished on a size 4 hook.
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Munro's Killer
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Originating on the Spey,
Munro's Killer is a
widely known and enormously successful salmon fly. A modern hairwing
dressing named after J.A.J. Munro, who for many years operated a
fishing tackle shop in Aberlour. |
Jock Scott
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The most famous of all
salmon flies, created in 1845 by Jock Scott, (born in 1817 at
Brankholme) who, for twenty five years, served as Fisherman to
Lord John Scott of Kirkbank on Tweed. A successful fly, not
only in Scotland but also in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick in
Canada, in Spain, Iceland, Finland and Norway. Indeed
it was on a voyage to Norway that the first Jock Scott was tied.
Sir Edward Grey, in "Fly Fishing", said of the Jock Scott, "the
best all round fly, excellent for all seasons, weathers and
waters in Great Britain, and to be used of all sizes. I believe
the Jock Scott to be the best blend of colour that has ever been
invented for a salmon fly." High praise indeed.
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Stoat's Tail
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In the
words of Hugh Falkus, "Of all hair-wing salmon flies for late
spring and summer fishing with floating line, the simple Stoat's
Tail is one of the best we have." This fly has been around for a
long time and has in all probability accounted for more salmon
than any other fly, particularly if we take into account its
many variants. Some have an orange hackle, as in the Thunder
Stoat and Stinchar Stoat; some a touch of blue, as in the Sweep;
Others sport a tinsel body, as in the Silver Stoat and Black
Brahan. All can be relied on in a wide variety of conditions and
most salmon fly boxes would contain one or two variants,
according to preference and experience. |
Silver Doctor
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The Silver
Doctor is a very attractive
salmon fly,
in common use from the mid nineteenth century on the Tweed
and other border rivers. Attributed to James Wright, of Sprouston, though some believe it may have originated in
Ireland, together with other brightly coloured patterns of
the time. Whatever their origin, the popularity of such
gaudy flies grew and they soon ousted the rather drab
Scottish creations previously in vogue. As a hairwing
pattern it is extremely effective and, a century and a half
after its creation, it retains its well-deserved place in
many a fly box. |
Hairy Mary
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The Hairy Mary is one of the earliest hairwing patterns, dating back to around 1950, when it was
in use on northern rivers such as the Ness and Conon. Its
design is attributed to Johnny Reidpath, an Inverness tackle
merchant. In its simplicity, this fly is in marked contrast to the
highly complex creations of the previous century, yet no
less effective in luring salmon.
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Garry
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Known
also as the Garry Dog, Yellow Dog or Minister's Dog, the name
originated in a Tweed tackle shop of the 1920's, where a
visiting minister contributed some hair from the tail of his
dog, a golden retriever named Garry, to aid the completion of a
fly under construction on the premises. While yellow bucktail or
similar hair is now substituted for the dog's hair, the Garry
remains an excellent salmon fly pattern for coloured water, particularly in
the autumn. see also
Tube Flies |
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