Trout Flies

A modest selection of the better fly patterns that I use to fish for trout.

First up is the Quill Gordon. Tied for the first time a little over a hundred years ago by Theodore Gordon, and often called the "first" dry fly. Proving it's longetivity, I caught some large, native brown trout just last month with this favorite and original Catskills pattern. Caught them out of the Willowemoc, probably in the same pool Mr. Gordon fished with his "Quill" fly in 1898. Tied very sparsely, the Quill Gordon is a rather attractive pattern. Especially to the Brown Trout. It seems to trigger something in them, and they take it aggressively whenever it appears. They always take this fly readily- even though smaller insects, or perhaps different species are hatching. The Quill Gordon. Made of stripped peacock herl for the body, rust to brown hen for the tail and hackles, and mallard duck quill for the wings. The classic way to tie it pitches the wings forward slightly and leaves a bit of hook shank just behind the eye. The hackles can be long, but they must be stiff so the fly will sit just right on the water's surface. Tie it big and you can see it when it's drifting on a far away riffle, after a long cast, just before it disappears, yet again, in the swirl of a trout rise. The fact that the Quill Gordon still works after all these years means to me that the Quill Gordon will work forever, so I always carry bunches of them in my box.

The Henryville Special.

Really just a complex caddis pattern, but like it's buddy in the next flybox compartment, the Quill Gordon, The Henryville Special attracts brown trout during certain weeks of the season like no other fly. This is a little fly that you toss under an overhanging branch- and immediately get the snarling, splashy rise of a real lunker brown. Always small with a duck tent wing, barred and palmered hackle over lime green floss. Looks like a bug, floats like a cork, and brings the big lazy browns out of their deep holding lies in the middle of summer.

Midge Whisps!

This is a new and untested pattern. I got the idea after getting tired of seeing fish rise steadily, especially in the summer, to feed on flies that seemed too small to bother imitating. Midges. Cousin to the mosquito. A swarming, buzzing little insect. Not as handsome as the mayfly, nor as agile as the caddis. But they hatch year round, come in very nuetral shades and trout feed on them all the time. Especially in streams with a lot of, well, angler traffic. This tiny bug is a safe bet. Hard to get a hook this small. The Midge Whisp is tied with only Cul d' Canard (duck rump feathers) and thread. Dub the CDC for the body and splay two clumps of it for the wings. The Midge Whisp will hang in the surface film and blend in with the other swarm of hatching naturals. I think I'll try it tomorrow.

Red Quill

This is also an old Catskills dry fly pattern, probably also invented by Theodore Gordon, but the Red Quill is not quite the same as the Quill Gordon. First of all it must be small. In fact I think that it's traditionally called "The Little Red Quill." Or maybe that's "The Little Blue Quill." Either way, I tie this fly because I usually have lots of reddish, rusty brown and orange colored feathers around, and almost nothing in blue. Besides, the reddish, rusty and yellow ochre shades seem far more natural to me. And this fly works! My favorite Sulfur immitation, when they're hatching small. The body is stripped hen hackle feather, color should be red, rust, ochre, slightly yellowish but never bright or at all khaki or cream. For hackle, use the same hen neck. Also the same for the tail, too. Wings are usually mallard flank, but here I used a dark partridge, which somehow makes it more, well, English.

Speaking of the English,

Here's a book I recommend; "The International Guide to Trout Flies," by Bob Church. This is an old edition, but I think it's still in print. Lots of shaggy wets and loosely tied dries by very English tyers, methods explained and stories told. Great color pictures of all types of flies tied, all in the British dressing style. Elegant, historic and purposeful. An excellent read if you have tying trout flies on the brain and need some inspiration.