First published April 13th 2006 - More than 2 years ago

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More about: Fly tying Trout Wet flies Patterns

Classic Wet Flies

Bergman and Beyond

By Bob Petti

This article has been brewing for quite some time. One of the first fly tying books I ever got was Mike Dawe's "The Flytiers Manual". I think I got it for Christmas one year from my Mom. I was a little disappointed at first because it was UK based and seemed "different". The more I read it, however, the more I learned to appreciate that difference. Not only that, I kept going back to the chapter on wet flies. They were fascinating - and quite beautiful. They were unlike anything that was "in vogue" at the time in US based magazines and books. My interest in wet flies has been on a slow simmer ever since.

Photo by S. Schweitzer

This past Fall and Winter, the simmer came to a full boil. It started with a visit to the International Fly Tying Symposium, where I watched Don Bastian tie for awhile and then sat in on his slide show. Granted, a gifted and experienced tyer like Don always makes fly tying seem incredibly easy, but I couldn't shake the "I can do that" feeling that was coming over me. I'd wrapped my share of thread, paid enough dues. It was time to scratch an itch. The first thing I did was dig out my 1965 edition of Bergman's "Trout", which was handed down to me from my father.

When I was browsing through the plates by Dr. Burke and picking out flies to tie, I tried to choose that that had a variety of wing styles. Some married, some duck flank, some solid "slate" as they call the natural duck and goose wing quills, some mottled, and some solid colors. I looked for a variety of colors schemes, some bright attractors as well as some flies sporting more subdued natural tones. I wanted a few with palmered hackles as well as a few with mixed hackles. Some classics are sprinkled in, but for the most part, many of these flies are not well known.

Ed: This article has been updated with flies tied during the Christmas holiday season of 2005. The new set starts with the "Beauty".

I must say, tying the sets of flies was great fun. I tied three of each, which filled a single row in an old Perrine #60 fly box. Due to the size of the hook, I had to skip rows, so I could fit 5 rows of three flies on each side of the box. Since I had two boxes, I had a total of 20 patterns to tie. I listed the patterns on a sheet of paper and sat down and tied. By New Year's, I was done.

Since Wet Flies seem to be coming back in fashion somewhat, I thought I'd share them with GFF readers.

Abbey

Hook: Mustad 3399, #8
Tag: Flat Gold Tinsel
Tail: Golden Pheasant Tippet
Rib: Flat Gold Tinsel
Body: Dark Red Floss
Hackle: Brown
Wing: Gray Mallard

Finding mallard flank to make a nice slip wing is difficult. You need to use those "side" feathers that are essentially one sided, with the good side having solid web all the way to the tips of the barbs. I sorted through a lot of flank to find a few feathers to use on these flies.

Black and Orange
Hook: Mustad 3399, #8 Tail: Black Hackle Rib: Black Floss Body: Orange Floss Hackle: Black Wing: Black

This was supposed to be a Lord Baltimore, until I realized I forgot the jungle cock eye. As luck would have it, there was also a fly named the Black and Orange that match this recipe perfectly. Lucky me. Since my dyed black goose was more of a dark blue, I used natural crow quill for the wing. Looks nice.

Blue Bottle
Hook: Mustad 3399, #8 Tag: Flat Gold Tinsel Body: Blue Floss Hackle: Black, palmered over body Wing: Slate

I never noticed this fly until I saw it on the cover of Don Bastian's DVD. It caught my eye and I thought I'd try my hand at a few. It's a real handsome pattern. I'm a sucker for flies with palmered hackles.

Brandreth
Hook: Mustad 3399, #8 Tag: Flat Gold Tinsel Tail: Red Rib: Flat Gold Tinsel Body: Yellow Wool Hackle: Yellow and Red Mixed Wing: Gray Mallard

The wool body of the Brandreth provides a different texture compared to the more widely used floss body.

Cassin
Hook: Mustad 3399, #8 Tag: Flat Gold Tinsel Tail: Red and Peacock Sword Rib: Flat Gold Tinsel Body: Yellow Floss Hackle: Brown Wing: Yellow

This is the first of Bergman's wet flies that I tied. I plan on fishing these on Long Island's Connetquot River, where some friends have found yellow to be a good color for the local brown trout.

Catskill
Hook: Mustad 3399, #8 Tail: Lemon Woodduck Body: Orange Floss Hackle: Brown, palmered Wing: Lemon Woodduck

When choose flies to tie from the book, I could not pass up a fly known as "Catskill", especially since it contains one of my favorite materials - lemon woodduck flank. Palmered hackle? Man - nice fly.

Dr. Burke
Hook: Mustad 3399, #8 Tail: Peacock Sword Rib: Oval Silver Tinsel Body: Flat Silver Tinsel Hackle: Yellow Wing: White Cheek: Jungle Cock

Dr. Burke was the man who painted all the plates in Bergman's book "Trout". This fly is just a wonderful blend of materials and colors, which also happen to work quite well as a streamer.

Fergusun
Hook: Mustad 3399, #8 Tail: Yellow and Red, married Tag: Flat Gold Tinsel Rib: Flat Gold Tinsel Body: Yellow Floss Hackle: Green Wing: Mottled Turkey with a Yellow Stripe

A nice combination of colors in this fly. If tied using the traditional mottled turkey in the wing, use goose shoulder instead of goose quill for the yellow stripe, as it will marry easier.

Fish Hawk
Hook: Mustad 3399, #8 Tail: Mottled Turkey Rib: Brown Floss Body: Flat Gold Tinsel Hackle: Brown Wing: Mottled Turkey Cheek: Jungle Cock

This fly calls for mottled turkey in the original recipe, but I happened upon a matched pair of speckled hen wings that looked terrific.

Fontinalis Fin
Hook: Mustad 3399, #8 Tail: White Rib: Flat Silver Tinsel Body: Orange Floss Hackle: Furnace Wing: Orange, topped with narrow strips of dark slate and white

The Fontinalis Fin is another imitation of a clipped brook trout fin. This version is also often tied with an orange wool body.

Grizzly King
Hook: Mustad 3399, #8 Tag: Flat Gold Tinsel Tail: Red Rib: Flat Gold Tinsel Body: Green Floss Hackle: Grizzly Wing: Gray Mallard

The wing on this fly is just a bit too long. The fly is commonly tied as a trout bucktail using gray squirrel tail for the wing, and is also used as a salmon fly tied on an upwing iron.

Last Chance
Hook: Mustad 3399, #8 Tag: Flat Gold Tinsel Tail: Red Rib: Black Floss Body: Yellow Floss Hackle: Brown Wing: Slate

I was surprised to find quite a few of the wet flies in Bergman's book sport some sort of floss or thread ribbing. I used Danville 3/0 to rib this fella, which is tied on a size 8 Mustad 3399 hook. Any heavier thread or floss would dominate the body too much.

Leadwing Coachman
Hook: Mustad 3399, #8 Tag: Flat Gold Tinsel Body: Peacock Herl Hackle: Brown Wing: Dark Slate

Another well known classic fly. The Leadwing Coachman is often used during Isonychia Season, since the nymphs of those mayflies are known to migrate to shore so they can emerge on streamside rocks.

Parmachene Belle
Hook: Mustad 3399, #8 Tail: Red and White Butt: Black Rib: Flat Silver Tinsel Body: Yellow Floss Hackle: Mixed red and white Wing: White with a Red Stripe

One of the most famous of all the "Bergman" wet flies. The Parmachene Belle is named after Parmachene Lake in Maine, USA. The first time I ever saw a real one was when a friend in Nova Scotia sent me some in a swap, telling me how he used them when fishing for sea run brookies. How cool is that?

Pebble Beach
Hook: Mustad 3399, #8 Tag: Flat Gold Tinsel Body: Claret Floss Rib: Flat Silver Tinsel Hackle: Brown, palmered Throat: Black Wing: Orange

I'd like to know a little bit more about the history of this fly, as the Pebble Beach I know is known more for birdies and bogeys rather than trout and wet flies. Still - a pretty fly just the same.

Pink Lady
Hook: Mustad 3399, #8 Tag: Flat Gold Tinsel Tail: Golden Pheasant Tippets Rib: Flat Gold Tinsel Body: Pink Floss Hackle: Brown Wing: Slate

One of my favorites of the lot. This pattern also makes for a beautiful dry fly. There are not many patterns that incorporate pink into their recipe without being gawdy.

Royal Coachman
Hook: Mustad 3399, #8 Tail: Golden Pheasant Tippets Body: Peacock Herl with a center band of Red Floss Hackle: Brown Wing: White

One of the most famous flies of all time, whether the upwing dry fly, or the quill winged wet fly as shown here. This combination of materials has been used in a million different ways to catch all sorts of fish. A true timeless classic.

Silver Doctor
Hook: Mustad 3399, #8 Tail: Golden Pheasant Tippets Rib: Oval Silver Tinsel Body: Flat Silver Tinsel Hackle: Blue Wing: Green, Yellow, Red, married Cheek: Gray mallard, sparse

I can hear you now. "Silver Doctor? You kidding me? This does not match the recipe in Bergman's book." You're right. It doesn't. The recipe for this fly came from Mike Dawe's "Flytier's Companion", which is UK based. I loved the combination of colors and the mallard flank sides. Forgive me, Ray.

Telephone Box
Hook: Mustad 3399, #8 Tail: Golden Pheasant Tippets Butt: Peacock Herl Rib: Black Floss Body: Orange Floss Hackle: Brown Wing: Mottled Turkey Cheek: Jungle Cock

Here again I made use of speckled hen wing quills in place of the traditional mottled turkey. Don't they look nice? This is a real pretty fly. Not flashy, but certainly not dull by any means.

Tomah Joe
Hook: Mustad 3399, #8 Tail: Yellow Butt: Peacock Herl Body: Flat Gold Tinsel Hackle: Mixed Scarlet and Yellow Wing: Barred Woodduck

A real pretty fly. Nice combination of colors and materials. The wing can be made with either matching left/right slips of barred woodduck, or taking one wider slip and folding it lengthwise (the British method). By the way - this is a real fish catcher.

Trout Fin
Hook: Mustad 3399, #8 Tail: Red Rib: Oval Silver Tinsel Body: Flat Silver Tinsel Hackle: Badger Wing: Red, married to narrow strips of black and white

Knowing that brook trout were quite territorial, old timers would often clip the fin off a caught fish and use it for bait. Fly fishers imitated this behavior by creating several "trout fin" type flies, this being one of the popular variations.

Beauty

Hook: Mustad 3399, #8
Tag: Flat Silver Tinsel
Tail: Guinea
Body: Dark Gray Floss
Rib: Flat Silver Tinsel
Hackle: Black
Wing: Guinea

Who turned the color off? Talk about a black-and-white fly, with a little silver and gray to mix things up a bit. Drab - but fishy, isn't it? I was looking for patterns that had Guinea wings, and this is one of the first I found.

Blae and Black
Hook: Mustad 3399, #8 Tail: Golden Pheasant Tippet Body: Black Floss Rib: Oval Silver Tinsel Hackle: Black Wing: Natural Duck Quill

A not-quite-as-well-known fly from the UK, where "blae" refers to various shades of gray (like dun, slate, etc.). Quite a few of the patterns from the UK use GP tippet tails. I try to keep mine sparse and make sure both bands are showing, but keeping the separation between bands significant.

Butcher
Hook: Mustad 3399, #8 Tail: Red Body: Flat Silver Tinsel Hackle: Black Wing: Irridescent Blue segment from Mallard Drake flight feather

Everyone knows about this fly. The theory is that the silver is the butcher's blade, the red is the blood from the meat, and the irridescent blue is his apron. Whatever. It's a great fly. The original called for Ibis for the tail, but I use just a few whisps of hackle.

Dark Montreal

Hook: Mustad 3399, #8
Tag: Flat Gold Tinsel
Tail: Scarlet Wisps (hackle)
Body: Magenta Floss
Rib: Flat Gold Tinsel
Hackle: Magenta
Wing: Mottled Turkey

Who could not like this fly? What a great combination of colors. Gold and claret/magenta with a mottled wing. A real beauty. It's easy to see why this has caught so many fishermen's attention over the years. This one was tied with chicken wing quills like the flies above. Amazing, eh?

Gold Ribbed Hare's Ear

Hook: Mustad 3399, #8
Tag: Flat Gold Tinsel
Tail: Bronze Mallard
Body: Hare's Ear Dubbing
Rib: Flat Gold Tinsel
Wing: Slate

NOTE: This tie is slightly different from the traditional in that it uses holographic gold tinsel.

Probably the single most famous fly of all. I am a bit embarrassed to admit I've embellished the traditional dressing a bit by adding the bronze mallard tail and using holographic gold tinsel for a tag and a rib. I can't help it. That holo gold is a fish magnet.

Greenwell's Glory
Hook: Mustad 3399, #8 Body: Pearsall's Gossamer Silk Thread, Primrose, darkened with dark brown cobbler's wax Rib: Fine Oval Gold Tinsel Hackle: Greenwell's Hen (furnace) Wing: Slate

The UK's version of an Adams. Everyone ties and fishes the Greenwell's Glory in an almost infinite number of varieties. This particular one was intended to be close to the original dressing, including the dark waxed primrose body and the narrower-than-usual Starling slip wing.

Hardy's Favorite
Hook: Mustad 3399, #8 Tail: Golden Pheasant Tippet Body: Peacock Herl Rib: Red Floss Hackle: Brown Wing: Mottled Turkey

One from Helen Shaw's wonderful book on wet flies, "Flies for Fish and Fishermen - The Wet Flies". I first saw this fly in a swap I did back in 1994 and it's caught my eye ever since. Hen again.

Light Caddis

Hook: Mustad 3399, #8
Tag: Flat Silver Tinsel
Tail: Golden Pheasant Tippet
Body: Peacock Herl
Rib: Orange Floss
Hackle: Brown
Wing: Light Slate

Another one from Helen's book. It makes a good match with the Hardy's Favorite. I used to tie this one with a wing tied "Hughes" style with a bunch of dark dun hen saddle fibers. The quill wing looks much nicer.

Mallard and Claret

Hook: Mustad 3399, #8
Tag:Flat Silver Tinsel
Tail: Golden Pheasant Tippet
Body: Claret Seal's Fur
Rib: Oval Silver Tinsel
Hackle: Black
Wing: Bronze Mallard

Obviously, I am struggling with my bronze mallard wings. This fly is fishable, but it will not win any beauty contests. I almost chose not to include it here, but it's such a good fly. It's very popular in the UK and has spawned countless variations on the "mallard and claret" theme.

Governor

Hook: Mustad 3399, #8
Tip: Flat Gold Tinsel
Tag: Scarlet Floss
Body: Peacock Herl
Hackle: Brown
Wing: Mottled Turkey

One I had never heard of prior to getting a copy of Helen's book. One day I was in the mood for some herl bodied wet flies, and this one caught my eye. Again - hen here instead of turkey (I know - I'm being redundant - but I don't want to be called out on the mat by the internet fly tying police.)

Guinea Hen

Hook: Mustad 3399, #8
Tag: Flat Gold Tinsel
Tail: Crimson
Body: Crimson Fur or Wool
Rib: Flat Gold Tinsel
Hackle: Light Claret
Wing: Guinea

Can you believe this fly? The red wool body leaps out at you when you're holding the actual fly. It looks like a Christmas ornament in my fly box. I like it.

Silver and Black
Hook: Mustad 3399, #8 Tail: Golden Pheasant Tippet Body: Flat Silver Tinsel Hackle: Black Wing: Black

Another from Helen's book. I wanted a dark fly with a bit of flash. This will do the trick.

Teal, Blue, and Silver

Hook: Mustad 3399, #8
Tail: Golden Pheasant Tippet
Body: Flat Silver Tinsel
Rib: Oval Silver Tinsel
Hackle: Blue
Wing: Teal Flank

Another very well known fly - although probably more so for sea trout than for trout fishing. I have done very well with this fly, however, fishing it during the height of the season with all sorts of little fry are about.

Whickham's Fancy

Hook: Mustad 3399, #8
Tail: Brown Hackle
Body: Flat Gold Tinsel
Rib: Oval Gold Tinsel or Gold Wire
Hackle: Brown, palmered
Wing: Slate

I wish I had done something different with the first turn of hackle, as the overall effect of the palmer makes the fly look butt heavy. Still - this will be a fish catcher. Gold tinsel, brown rib - what's not to like? This will catch fish - and in fact has caught fish for far longer than I have been fishing.

Recommend this page to a friend

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User comments

From: Grant · gplungren·at·grantlun.com
Submitted May 4th 2008

If you sell the collection, I am ready to purchase 4 each, and a dozen of several of the patterns.

From: Andy Dickson · andy.dickson1·at·btinternet.com
Submitted April 30th 2008

Beautiful flies perfectly photographed. I've been looking for BROWN cobblers wax for years to tie the original Greenwells Glory (wet) since I live right THERE where Tweed, Clyde and Annan rise

From: Jan Johansen · jany·at·blueyonder.co.uk
Submitted April 28th 2008

I just keep going back to these flies time after time, fantastic beautiful patterns love them to bits

From: Peter Thompson · Peter.Thompson·at·aslf.org
Submitted April 12th 2008

Dr Petti,
Excellent work. I always say, "the classics are classics because they work." I've been out of things for a while but am coming back to the land of the living and this page of traditional wet flies for trout is inspiring eye candy......

From: Joe Wise · jbrw·at·bellsouth.net
Submitted January 29th 2008

Don Bastian shows a "Good Evening" tied for his article back in 2006 in Fly Tyer. I finally got around to taking the wings of a mallard drake this season and tied the fly but reached a quandry when placing the slips together. Normally, the slips are matched dull side out, I thought, so the wings curve out slightly. But on this fly, one would lose the beautiful purple speculum if tied this way; so I tied the fly dull side in. This part of the wing is pretty flat any way, so one would not get much curvature however tied. Does anyone know how this fly was tied originally?

From: mike bingley · michael_bingley·at·hotmail.com
Submitted January 24th 2008

excellent site.i have been looking for good classic wets to tie. found everything i needed on your site. i am interested in all the old classics from trout flies to salmon flies. i am tying some of them now to see how they work on trout here in nova scotia. keep up the good work and i hope you add more to your site, just can't get enough of them. thanks for sharing these with all of us

From: Rich Shires · rwsbrgh2o·at·hotmail.com
Submitted November 5th 2007

...was only eight years old when brother (four years older) and I dug frozen chickens - "plymouth rock" out of the snow; cut bristles off of Dad's paint brush and crudely attached them to a worm hook. A lifetime hobby began. Dad always fished wets - always three - two droppers and a point and any other way was treason. Beautiful page, wonderful photography and comments. Thank you so much!

From: paul rossbotham · rosser_2007·at·aol.com
Submitted October 31st 2007

very nicely done i will be tying some of these myself.

From: Bob Vincent · compassboat·at·yahoo.com
Submitted August 22nd 2007

WOW- WOW-WOW !!!!!!!!!! This is a real inspiration for a beginner. Gathering up materials and building a desk right now. Again, they are beautiful and fantastic.

Bob V

From: David · david·at·sunland92.fsnet.co.uk
Submitted May 27th 2007

Excellently tied trout flies on this page. Very good photographs.
I have an old 'John Veniard' book which has some of these flies in, they are tied with the same materials here, apart from the 'Catskill', Veniard uses Brown Mallard shoulder feather for the wings and tail.. There are other dressings like Adirondack, Cupsuptic, Potomac, Rio Grande King, Utah, Ray Bergman and Montreal Silver in the book too.

From: shiNIN · zita·at·evision.hu
Submitted May 22nd 2007

I never heard about "wet flies" before, I just played with google ;), but wow! good photos about beautiful flies... I really enjoyed watching these artistic beauties. grats & thanks!

From: ROBERT HENSEL · hensels01·at·verizon.net
Submitted May 22nd 2007

Super flies! I live in a resort in Florida where the streets are named for trout & salmon flies. iI would like to find someone who would tye SIX of the patterns for me. CATSKILL,GRAY HACKLE, NIGHT OWL, PARSON TOM, PINK LADY, WOODRUFF.
I need a dozen of each to maKe a frame to give as gifts, If you know of someone please advise. THANKS BOB

From: james griffiths · jimbo.griffiths·at·virgin.net
Submitted April 26th 2007

As a keen flytier myself , I always think that when exposing both bars on pheasent tippets tails that the tail looks too long , but as I can see you compensate the body length which tends to bring the tail further down the shank and makes it look more acceptable , I also like your skills when combining three different wing slips as one , trully impressed and overall they are dressed very neat and tidy ......jim

From: Ken D. Hendsbee · Lumbyken·at·telus.net
Submitted April 6th 2007

What a great website with crisp patterns! Keep up the great work.
Happy Easter to all.
Ken

From: Harvey Lybolt · harvlyb·at·comcast.net
Submitted March 31st 2007

Now that I've seen your beautiful flies I will re-read Rays book again. This time with fresh eyes. Wonderful art and dialogue. Thanks for sharing! Back to the vise with renewed vigor.

From: jjtroutbum · jjoystl·at·yahoo.com
Submitted March 13th 2007

Thanks for wonderful flies that have some of the neatest symmetrical head wraps I've seen. this is the page that inspired me to start a Soft hackled or Winged wet fly swap in my favorite online forum. OzarkAnglers.com

From: gary · christineandgary·at·verizon.net
Submitted March 11th 2007

I just finished reading The Soft-Hackled Fly and Tiny Soft Hackles by Sylvester Nemes which inspired me to surch on line for more articles about wet flies.
Thanks for the article and pictures, my next move is to the bench!

From: Bernard · wonderwing·at·free.fr
Submitted February 28th 2007

Thanks for this fantastic job . Were can i buy entire wet collection ? Please answer me quicly. Thanks

From: Frederick C Brown · 7brownie·at·comcast.net
Submitted February 28th 2007

Neat stuff Bob; I love to fish with the wet fly. I am 72 & fished the same water as Ray B. & Dr. burke, Both of which were from New Jersey , as I am too. The water they fished , is on the south branch of the Raritan , near a town called Long valley, DR. Burke lived in a town called Bound Brook N.J. I really like your style of tying. Great photos FRED

From: Patrick Cousley · fishinghole2001·at·hotmail.com
Submitted February 27th 2007

just a great collection of flies , I have been looking for some classic patterns to ty & try
around B.C.

From: Jack Gorham · jtgorham1·at·AOL.COM
Submitted February 25th 2007

Where can I buy some of these beautys?

From: Dave Botelho · Troutman_1·at·charter.net
Submitted February 16th 2007

PS. All 35 Wet Flies will be on my site in the very near future. Stay tuned at www.Tightlines-Flyfishing.com

From: Dave Botelho · Troutman_1·at·charter.net
Submitted February 16th 2007

Triple A....Awesome article, Awesome Flies, Awesome Photography.

From: Alesssio falorni · 3385409458·at·tim.it
Submitted January 26th 2007

simply Fantastic!

From: Joe Celestini · joe.celestini·at·sympatico.ca
Submitted January 22nd 2007

Exactly what I've been looking for! Great flies nicely photographed, with good commentary. You've raised the level of respect for the lowly wet fly to the ranks of classic salmon patterns. Nobody has made dead animal parts look more inviting. I must tie them! Here chicky . . . chicky . . . chicky . . .

From: Warm Water Fly Fisher
Submitted January 8th 2007

very nice flies, they would look good framed

From: Highlander · Highlander1·at·ntlworld.com
Submitted January 2nd 2007

Lovely flies, your right though your having trouble with folded wings (Mallard & Claret)
LOL
Tight Lines

From: Graeme Dickson · gfdickson·at·hotmail.com
Submitted December 30th 2006

Your flies have inspired me to try to do these flies justice.The manner you have presented them has started a itch in me I will have to scratch!!!!

From: russ brooks · rcbrooks2·at·verizon.net
Submitted September 4th 2006

very nice work. living in the Rangeley, Maine area one has the opportunity to fly cast on some historical waters and see many flies from the world over. "Classic wet flies" have never been absent from my fly boxes in 37 years of fly casting. Some of these patterns reside there now and by the looks some additional patterns will soon take up residence!!!!! We all owe a debt of gratitude to the Ray Bergmans of the world. Best wishes for fly casting.

From: Rusty Rat · idjag2006·at·hotmail.com
Submitted August 7th 2006

Great job! Thanks for the trip down Memory Lane. RR

From: Anonymous
Submitted August 1st 2006

I love how you tied the gold ribed hares ear! I'll tie that right now!!

From: Kevin Weaver · ksweaver·at·eastlink.ca
Submitted June 15th 2006

Fantastic job on these wet flies!...I especially liked the Greenwell's Glory as I have been trying to tie one for a friend...with limited success I might add...the Dark Montreal is very effective on brook trout in Nova Scotia...thank you for sharing your expertise and the "commentary"....

From: pen · barpen·at·sover.net
Submitted June 7th 2006

This presentation was wonderful and stimulating.
I am fairly new to tying and now a bit frustrated 'cause I could use some step by step instructions.
Suggestions would be appreciated.

I fish brook trout in ponds and lakes in the Rangeley Region primarily.

From: Jan Johansen · jany·at·blueyonder.co.uk
Submitted April 24th 2006

Loved the different hares ear you tied,I tied one to try , fish 1 rocks 1 lost 1 will remember to tie several from now on.I have a different hares ear myself maybe you would be
interested

From: Bryant Freeman · lbfreeman·at·rogers.com
Submitted April 24th 2006

Dropped in on this page and find Bob has created some fine wet flies. In keeping with tradition he has made an impressive set to be shared with others on the internet.
Great work, Young fellow.

From: Korrie · korrie·at·caneworld.co.za
Submitted April 24th 2006

Soft hackles are probably the most effective flies there is. I have caught more difficult fish on soft hackled wet flies than any other . It is the most under rated flies in the world. You can fish them upstream dry fly with a bit of floatant and it looks like a seriously trapped crippled emerger/dry. Fish them as a unweighted nymph dead drift down stream. Czech nymph with them. Across and down on the surface as a egg laying caddis. Or sub-surface in the traditional North Country style, it will catch fish every way. There is no other fly that is this versatile.

From: G.A. Morresi · gianandrea_m·at·hotmail.com
Submitted April 23rd 2006

Wow...
THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!

I love traditional wet flies as well as soft hackles.
I am a beginner and have a beginner's question: will they catch fish, though? I mean, in places like the Housatonic, the Farmington, the Beaverkill and the Willowemoc, and as opposed to nymphs like the Pheasant tail? Perhaps it's just comparing apples and oranges.
Whatever the answer, THANK YOU once again for sharing your work with us - such beautiful creations! (I must get the Bastien DVD!)

From: Dave Cook · djcook·at·spacelink.com.au
Submitted April 16th 2006

If only there was enough time left in life to do what we would like to do. I feel that my daughters will inherit my stack of flytying materials. I find that I tie flies only to replace those left in trees and fish. Such is life!

From: Roger Baker · rogerbaker·at·eircom.net
Submitted April 14th 2006

Really, beautifully tied fishing flies and superbly photographed. Nice story too.
Traditional wet flies (and their modern derivations) for sea-run brown trout and salmon. They are the most interesting and are unsurpassable catchers of wild salmonids.
I wish that you would tie some traditional Irish and Scottish wet patterns, such as the Green Peter, Kate McClaren and Kingsmill Moore's bumble series - the Golden Olive, Fiery Brown and Claret Bumble.
Traditional flies with well-picked out seal's fur bodies and palmered body hackles are far superior to the smooth body/slip wing paterns. Particularly the bumbles, with two contrasting body hackles, will provide you with superb photo models and not a few fish. Keep your work up!

From: Ripley Davenport · admin·at·distantstreams.com
Submitted April 13th 2006

Lovely pictures. Nice to see my all time favourite wets here...
Teal, blue and silver...Telephone box...Fish hawk.
I am having great results using them in Denmark for sea trout. The good ole' English way...uhh?
Ripley Davenport

From: Craig White (squaretail) · cwhite1·at·maine.rr.com
Submitted April 13th 2006

Most impressive.

I'll have to give the sea-run patterns a whirl...

From: Bob Abrams · icepeep·at·aol.com
Submitted April 13th 2006

I met Don Bastian for the first time last winter at the Fly Show in College Park, Maryland. I found out that he is friends with our good buddy Large Mike Martinek. Don's booth was the first one on the left as I walked in. I stopped for a quick chat and spent an hour (at least) watching him tie. I realized that I could spend the rest of the day at his booth so I pulled away so I could see the show. Upon leaving several hours later I made the mistake of stopping by his bench again. Yes. Another hour. And like you, I went home with new confidence and started tying wets. What a great inspiration he was. I asked him way too many question and he answered every one. He gave me lots and lots of wonderful tips on many aspects of tying.

This article is superb. Thanks.

Bob Abrams

From: Leigh Shuman · leighs522·at·mac.com
Submitted April 13th 2006

You might want to look at Don Bastian's DVD on tying these wonderful flies. Also, there is now at least one discussion board on the web (not allowed to give you a link, you'll have to find it yourself, maybe by googling the names of some classic wet flies) where many of us afficianados of the classic wets hang out and show some patterns and discuss ideas. I'm a great fan of GFF as well, and love many of the patterns and articles. The one on Mary Orivs Marbury flies and the stuff on classic streamers come to mind as examples of great GFF stuff.

From: Jerri Bullock
Submitted April 13th 2006

I love all the wet fly talk in this article. I tie alot of classic wet flies, including many of these patterns and let me make one suggestion. DO NOT hesitate to use these during the season. If you think they are fun to tie, wait 'til a nice trout or bass rolls on your wet fly at the end of a swing!

From: Daniel · amish-hippo·at·hotmail.com
Submitted April 13th 2006

thanks, i am just starting to tie, and i was running out of patterns for the materials i had, thatnks again

From: Larry Jurgens · lojurgens·at·msn.com
Submitted November 11th 2005

GREAT PAGE & PIX

KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!!

I am really interested in the "old-time" patterns! If able please do more of this type of work.

I am a fly tying and rod building consultant for Front Range anglers in Boulder, Colorado. Check out the shop website at "frontrangeanglers.com"

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Classic Wet Flies

Bergman and Beyond

Fly patterns

Tie Better

Tube Basics

Blog Creek

Keywords

South Swedish Sea Trout

Better fishing pictures: Glorious light

La Muerte

Mini Streamers