#84 - Parmachene Belle (Variant)

Tied by: Robert Frandsen
Originated by: Henry P. Wells

Hook: Partridge CS15 #4
Thread: White
Tag: Flat silver tinsel
Tail: Hackle fibers stacked white / red / white
Butt: Peacock herl
Rib: Oval silver tinsel
Body: Yellow silk
Thorax: Peacock herl
Collar: Mixed red and white hackle
Wing: 4 White hackles flanked by a shorter red hackle
Shoulder: Equal married sections of matched left and right goose quill white / red / white half the wing length
Eyes: Jungle cock
Head: Black

Notes: The Parmachene Belle was designed by Henry P. Well of Providence, Rhode Island. The Parmachene Belle streamer is based upon the highly popular wet fly of the same name designed by Henry Parkhurst Wells. Henry is best known for his fly named after the Rangeley Region lake, but he was also known for his scientific approach to angling. He built custom tanks to test his hypotheses on flies, leaders and gut. He states the pattern as being his favorite and one he used often to fish the headwaters of the Androscoggin River. You may also want to check out Robert's version of the Parmachene Beau, a compliment pattern to the Belle.

Here is the original description of the dressing as per his book "Fly Rods and Fly Tackle".

The body is lemon-yellow mohair, wrapped with silver tinsel; tail two to four strands of white and scarlet; hackle white and scarlet (I have sometimes wound both hackles on at the same time, and sometimes the white first and the scarlet afterwards, and over the white, capping it as it were; the latter is the better); wings white, striped with scarlet, the white decidedly predominating.