Stonehenge 1861
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John Henry Waltz aka Stonehenge. Stonehenge wrote several books. One of them was : Manual of british rural sports. It is not particular about Salmon fishing, but he mentioned 6 salmon flies with their discribtion and a drawing was added.
I will ad his discribtion of thying the flies, becaurse, as I see it, the discribtion differs from the pictures.
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Within this book, he discribes 6 salmon flies, which have no name, except that they are small, medium or gaudy Salmon flies.
He encurages to buy Blacker's book for the beautifull engraved models but " he (the buyer) must not expect to equal them in beauty, for even Mr. Blacker himself cannot by any possible degree of neatness come up to the delicacy of finish with which he has endowed his painted imitations.
Salmon fly No. 1
Tag : Flat gold tinsel, a few turns under the tail.
Tail : A topping.
Body : Crimson Mohair.
Ribs : Flat gold tinsel.
Hackle : A coarse cock's hackle dyed crimson, started 1/3 from the tail.
Wing : Fibers from the Golden Pheasant tail.
Head : Peacock herl.
His discribtion from the book :
After tying on the loop of gut, take a piece of crimson silk about half a yard long, and fasten it on at the bend, leaving an end to reach beyond the shoulder; next take a part of an golden pheasant crest-feather for tail, and tie it on the upper side of the bend, also including a flat piece of gold tinsel; then dub the silk after waxing it, with crimson mohair, and lap it around the shank for about qne-third of the length; when arrived at this stage, ty in the point of a long and coarse cock's hackle, dyed crimson, then proceed with the rest of the silk and dubbing to complete the body. As soon as this part is finished, the dubbing must be removed from the remainder of the silk, which must be fastened off; now take a piec of the tail of the pheasant of the requisite length and substance for the wing, and a single herl of the peacock for the head, and tie them on firmly one above and the other below the shoulder of the hook, using the other piece of the silk left projecting at the shank-end, and laying the feathers for the wings either at once where they ought to go, or else tying them first the reverse way and then turning them over, and keeping them down with an extra turn or two of the silk over the root of the wing; fasten this of, and proceed to finish the ody, for which purpose the hackle is first rolled round till it comes close under the wings, where it is fastened off, and then the gold tinsel is wound several times round the bare hook under the tail, then once over it, and afterwards spirally round the shank, following the hackle till iit arrives at the shoulder where it also must be fastened off, and neatly cut off with the hackle. The fly is now complete, with the exception of the head, which is made with the peacock's herl wound round the part of the shank left projecting beyond the wing, and is fastened with the same piece of silk as the wing, which fastening receives a touch of varnish with the brush kept for the purpose. This is one of the most simple of all salmon-flies, and is well adapted for the practice of the young fly-maker.
Small salmonfly or Grilse fly No. 2
Tag : gold tinsel.
Tail : Six or seven fibres of the golden pheasant's crest feather.
Body : One turn of gold tinsel, then yellow floss silk, remainder brown mohair or weasels fur.
Ribs : Silver twist.
Hackle : Reddish brown coarse cock's hackle over the mohair part.
Wings : The outer part being the grey feather of the mallard, the inner part of the yellow part of the web of the hen
pheasant tail.
Head : Black.
His discribtion from the book:
This is tied almost exactly on the same principle as the first, but the materials,&c, being different, it presents when finished a lighter and somewhat brighter aspect. The body is of brown mohair or weasel's fur, the last joint being of bright yellow floss-silk, finished off with a single turn of gold tinsel; tail of six or seven fibres of the golden pheasant's crest-feather; wings of two portions, the outer part being of the grey feather of the mallard, the inner of the yellow part of the web of the hen pheasant's tail; a reddish brown coarse cock's hackle is rolled over the whole of the mohair forming the body, and with it a piece of silver twist. The head is composed of a few turns of the tying silk only, without any other materials.
Gaudy Salmonfly No. 3
Tail : Golden pheasant crest feather.
Ribs : Silver twist.
Body : 1/3 blood red and 1/3 orange Mohair and 1/3 deep green wool.
Hackle : Blood red, orange and deep green corresponding the body colours.
Throat : A bottle green or purple coarse hackle.
Wing : Two golden pheasant crets feathers with two toppings of the yellow crest of the macaw under.
Head : Black Ostrich.
His discribtion from the book;
After whiping on the loop, a portion of golden pheasant's tail and a piece of silver twist are finished on the bend of the hook; after which the silk used in the process is dubbed with blood red mohair, with which 1/3 of the shank is covvered, then another third with orange, and finally, the remaining third with deep green dyed wool, corresponding with each division, and before proceeding to the next, a cock's hackle of the same colour as the body is tied on, and wound spirally round, finnishing it off and tying it down with the silk used for the dubbing of each division. After completing the last division the point of a bottle green or purple cock's hackle is to be tied in, together with a pair of wings composed of two full golden pheasant's crest feathers, with two toppings of a yellow crest of the macaw under; and in addition, a black ostrich herl for the head. After the wings are partly tied on, and before they are reversed, the silver twist is wound round, the purple hackle is then turned round and finnished off; after which, the wing is reversed and tied down, and the herl formed into the head in the usual way. It is a very light and taking fly in the water.
Gaudy Salmonfly No. 4
Tag : Gold tinsel and orange floss.
Tail : Two slibs of brown mallard's feather with a thin topping of a Golden pheasant crest. This is tied in after the tag.
But : Black ostrich herl.
Ribs : Gold tinsel.
Body : 1/4 crimson mohair or wool, 1/4 scarlet wool, 1/4 crimson mohair or wool. There is not mentioned an other 1/4the.
See the tying discribtion from the book.
Hackle : Black over the scarlet and crimson, bright red under the wing.
Throat : A piece of dark guinea fowl's back feather below the shoulder.
Wing : First two large fibers red macaw. Secondly two portions of reddish black mottled turkey. Thirdly two portions of the
back feather of the Golden pheasant. (tippet). Fourthly, two short feathers of the blue lowrie or macaw.
These are tied in above the shoulder.
Head : Black ostrich herl.
His discribtion from the book;
Tail of two slibs of brown mallard's feather, with a thin topping of golden pheasant's crest. This is tied on AFTER making a short joint at the bend of the hook of gold tinsel and orange floss-silk. The tinsel is carried on under the latter, and is left for further use. Next tie in a black ostrich herl, and turn it round three times closely together, finish off and remove the end; then dub the silk with crimson mohair or wool, and make up one-quarter of the shank with it for body; tie in a black cock's hackle, and make up another quarter by dubbing the silk with scarlet wool; then another quarter with the crimson, and tie in when finished this part a bright red coarse cock's hackle. Now wind the black hackle up to the last quarter of the body, following it up with the gold tinsel, and fastened and remove the ends of both. Next take a pair of wings composed as follows, placing one of every sort of topping on each side in a corresponding manner: first, two long fibers of red macaw; secondly, two portions of reddish-black mottled turkey's feather, not quite so long; thirdly, two portions of the back feather of the golden pheasant; fourthly, two short feathers of the blue lowrie or macaw. These are to be tied on above the shoulder, and a piece of dark guinea fowl's back feather below; also a black ostrich herl for head. In tying on wing feathers of this compound sort, pinch them flat between the finger and thumb, and do not attempt to tie them on the reverse way. After tthe wings are secure, and also the guinea fowl's feather for feelers, wind the last red hackle as a support to them and then finnish off with the herl for the head.
Medium Salmonfly No. 5
Tag : One turn of silver plait or braid and some turns of purple floss silk.
Tail : A topping and a cock's hackle with a fine point.
But : Black ostrich herl.
Ribs : Silver braid.
Body : 1/3 orange, 1/3 yellow and 1/3 lilac floss silk.
Wing : First a large piece of brown mallard. Secondly a fibre on each side of green or blue macaw. Thirdly a crimson cock's
hackle on each side. Fourthly two slobs of bustard feather.
Throat :A blue jay and a few black ostrich herl.
Head : black.
His discribtion from the book:
First whip on a loop as usual, then commence by fastening a piece of silver plait or braid, which is to make one turn at the bend of the hook, and is to be afterwards concealed by some turns of purple floss silk for about the eight of an inch; next tie in for the tail a fine pointed red cock's hackle and a golden pheasant's crest feather projecting beyond it; then a black ostrich herl, which is to conceal their root by making a raised ring of black above the silver braid, which is now allowed to hang over ready for use. The body is then made up of three equal portions of floss silk, orange, yellow, andlilac, over which the silver braid is to be spirally wound. Next tie at the shoulder a blue jay's wing feather, to be used as a hackle, and then a compound wing of the following dubbings: first, a large piece of brown mallards feather; secondly a fibre on each side of the green or blue macaw; thirdly, a dyed crimson cock's hackle on each side; fourtly, two slips of bustard's feather. Below this is to be tied a long tag of the short herls at the root of the ostrich feather, and surrounding the the shoulders of both the wing and the feelers a portion of reddish mohair is tied on, and afterwards picked out so as to shade off gradually over both. Finally, a head is formed with a few turns of well waxeed silk. This is a very good and usefull fly, and will take in a medium state of water, being neither very gaudy nor quite plain.
A very gaudy Salmonfly No. 6
Tag : Two or three turn of flat gold tinsel.
Tail : Golden pheasant topping, a small bright crimson cock's hackle, and 3 or 4 fibers of a pale green macaw's feather.
But : One turn of crimson wool.
Ribs : Twisted gold cord.
Body : First half snuff coloured wool, mohair or pig's wool and the second half crimson wool as a dubbing.
Hackle : A crimson coarse cock's hackle.
Throat : A cormoran's neck feather or a dark guinea fowl.
Wing : First, two strips golden pheasant or Bustard's tail. Second, 2 fibers of the red macaw. Thirtly, 2 of the blue macaw
and fourthly 2 of the Bustard or brown wood duck's feather.
Head : Black ostrich herl.
His discribtion from the book;
Begin as usual, then fasten on at the bend a piece of tying silk, half a yard long; well wax it, and then lay on, first of all, at the bend two or three turns of flat gold tinsel, which fasten off with the silk; next include in the silk the tail, consisting of a golden pheasant's crest feather, a small bright crimson cock's hackle, dyed, and three or four fibres of a pale green macaw's feather. Now tie in a short tuft of crimson wool, surrounding the hook, and do this either by using it as a dubbing or otherwise at discretion. In fastening this off, include a piece of twisted gold cord, and then dub the silk with snuff-coloured wool, mohair or pig's wool, with which the lower half of the body is to be made up; finnishing the upper half with crimson wool as a dubbing. In the interval between the two dubbings, tie the point of a large and coarse crimson dyed cock's hackle, and, before finnishing off the crimson dubbing, tie on first the feather of a cormorant's neck as a hackle; a dark guinea fowl's feather will do, in the absence of the cormorant's feather. Next wind the gold cord spirally round the whole body, then lay down the crimson hackle, and finaly the cormorant's neck hackle, tying each down "seriatim" .A very large and handsome compound wing is now tied on, and with it a black ostrich herl for the head. The wing is composed of the following toppings; first: two from the golden pheasant's or bustard's tail feathers; secondly, two fibers of the red macaw; thirdly, two of the blue macaw; fourthly, two of the bustard or brown wood duck's feather. Under this lies the cormorant's neck feather, which being used as a hackle, appears above and below the shoulder of the hook. This is a good springfly, and is the largest ordenairy size suited for Scotland or Ireland.