Discovering the Marbury Lake Flies

If today's tyer wants to tie the Mary Orvis Marbury Lake flies, they would be wise to think 'old school', and transport themselves back to a time when the hooks had blind eyes, the materials were natural, and the flies were colorful

By Mike Boyer

Flies and photography by the author Charles Orvis opened his tackle shop in Manchester, Vermont in 1856, and the business did thrive. The nearby Green Mountains were becoming a resort area, and Orvis developed a clientele for flies and tackle from customers both near and far. By 1876, Charles was having difficulties obtaining materials, and supplying all the flies his customers were ordering. Of his three sons and one daughter, only his daughter Mary showed interest in tying flies. An expert 'fly dresser' from New York was brought in to sharpen Mary's skills. That same year, Mary Orvis Marbury took over the fly tying business for her father, employing from five to seven women, working in the upstairs of the Union Street factory that Charles had occupied since 1870. You can see more of Mike's flies at his web pages: http://www.favoriteflies.net/mikes_site/page/home.htm http://www.displayfliesmarket.com/marketplace/the_marketplace.html As the Orvis tying business developed and expanded, there were eventually 434 fly patterns offered. The Orvis flies were divided into roughly four categories: Trout, Bass, Lake, and Salmon. Some patterns did double duty for more than one species of fish, depending on the size and style the fly was tied. The Trout flies were the smallest but most numerous of the patterns, being gut snelled. The Bass flies were large and gaudy by comparison, tied with gut snells or twisted gut eyes. The Salmon flies were based mostly upon their British cousins, with a few American and Canadian Salmon patterns added. There were 46 Lake fly patterns. In today's terms, the Lake flies would be considered 'attractor' or 'all around' flies. They were tied generally smaller than the Bass and Salmon flies, but for the most part larger than the Trout patterns. The Lake flies could be fished for several species, from Trout to Bass. Many of the Lake patterns such as the Fiery Brown are not complicated, consisting of a tail and wing of Goose or Turkey (natural and dyed), a body of chenille, fur, or Peacock herl, maybe a tinsel rib, and a collar hackle. Some of the Lake patterns are more complex, being closer to the Salmon flies with silk bodies, and wings with multiple elements, and including more exotic feathers. Besides strip wings of Goose and Turkey, whole feather wings of waterfowl (Wood duck, Teal, and Mallard), Golden Pheasant tippets, Pheasant body feathers (hen and cock), and several other types of body feathers from other birds were paired up as 'spoon' wings on the Lake flies. Compared to modern flies, the wings were more upright, the bodies sometimes strongly tapered, and the hackles full and sweeping back. Many of the heads were built of red wool, black Ostrich herl, or Peacock herl. If today's tyer wants to tie the Marbury Lake flies, they would be wise to think 'old school', and transport themselves back to a time when the hooks had blind eyes, the materials were natural, and the flies were colorful and uniquely adapted to the American fly fishing experience by Mary Orvis Marbury and her crew of women tyers. Study the color plates and interesting information in Mary's book 'Favorite Flies and their Histories' and you will gain an appreciation for the character and significance of these American classic flies.

CUNNINGHAM - STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS

(1) If tying on a blind eye hook, attach the twisted gut eye or snell (a straight leader of gut with a loop on the end) with thread wraps, and wind thread down to a spot roughly even with the point of the hook. Note: a reasonable 'modern' hook for these flies is the Mustad 3366. For the Lake flies, the sizes would range from about 4 to 2/0. (2) Tie in a piece of small oval tinsel, and wrap five turns past the point (wrapping over the tinsel). Return the thread to the point of the hook, then wind five turns of tinsel forward. Tie off the tinsel. Prepare some small strips for the tail (both right and left) and marry the fibers. Place the two tail strips at the tie in spot. Pinch with thumb and forefinger, throw a soft loop over the strips and pull tight. Throw one more tight wrap over the strips directly in front of the first, then make sure the tail is sitting vertically as you want it. Add a couple more tight wraps. Trim the tail butts, or begin the underbody by winding the thread tightly over the butts.

(3) Build up an underbody that is slightly tapered (as shown) with thread wraps. At the tail, attach a piece of slightly larger oval tinsel. (4) By dubbing loop or twisting the fur onto the thread, build the brown fur body.

(5) If using spiky fur such as Seal, trim the fur body to shape. Wind five even turns of tinsel, leaving a small space at the shoulder. (6) Select a pair of body feathers from a Hen Pheasant. Prepare them by flattening the stems with flat pliers where the tie in wraps will be, and bending the stems on an angle as shown. Tie in the wings. If they don't sit vertically, use the pliers to twist the stems. Keep adjusting until the wings sit right. Add a drop of cement at the tie in spot.

(7) Prepare a schlappen or saddle feather by folding the fibers. Hold the feather by the tip with a hackle pliers (good side up), and use the fingers of the opposite hand to stroke the fibers of both sides down, into a 'V'. Trim the tip, then tie firmly to the hook exactly where the wing is. (8) Make several turns of hackle, making sure the fibers sweep back. Tie off the hackle, and then switch to a red thread.

(9) Make a dubbing mixture by cutting small pieces of red wool yarn, and pulling the strands apart until it is a uniform dubbing. Twist the red dubbing thinly onto the thread and make a shapely head. Make a few more wraps of red thread, then whip finish.

PATTERNS

Cassard Tag: oval silver tinsel Tail: Golden Pheasant crest, yellow, red, green goose shoulder, Wood Duck Butt: black chenille Rib: oval silver tinsel Body: claret silk floss Hackle: yellow, palmered Wing: Wood Duck Shoulder: Golden Pheasant tippet; green, red, yellow goose shoulder, Golden Pheasant crest over Throat: scarlet hackle Head: Peacock herl

Claret Montreal Tag: oval gold tinsel Tail: red Goose Body: claret floss Rib: oval gold tinsel Wing: mottled Turkey Hackle: claret

Cunningham Tag: oval silver tinsel Tail: married strands of grey, Mallard, and red dyed Goose or Turkey Body: brown fur (Seal used here) Ribs: oval silver tinsel Wing: Hen Pheasant body feathers (paired) Hackle: brown Head: red wool

Fiery Brown Tag: oval gold tinsel Tail: red dyed goose Body: fiery brown fur Wing: mottled Turkey Hackle: brown schlappen Head: red wool

Goldenrod Tag: oval silver tinsel Tail: red dyed Goose or Turkey Butt: black Ostrich herl Body: orange Seal or similar fur Ribs: oval silver tinsel Hackle: orange Wing: Jungle cock body feathers

Grasshopper Tag: flat gold tinsel and light olive floss Tail: Wood Duck and yellow goose Body: grey fur Wing: Jungle Cock, red and yellow dyed Turkey Hackle: Claret schlappen Head: black Ostrich herl

Hill Fly Tag: oval silver tinsel and yellow floss Tail: Golden Pheasant crest Body: Black floss Ribs: oval silver tinsel Wing: Golden Pheasant tippets, strips of Mallard and Teal, strips of brown Turkey, GP crest (at the sides) Hackle: black Head: black Ostrich herl

King of the Woods Tag: gold tinsel Tail: red and yellow Goose Body: yellow floss Rib: oval gold tinsel Wing: grey and brown Mallard, red Goose Hackle: green Head: red wool

Kingfisher Tag: silver tinsel Tail: Golden Pheasant tippet Body: red silk floss Rib: oval gold tinsel Wing: Teal Hackle: brown Head: red wool

Klamath Tail: red Goose and barred Wood Duck Body: Peacock herl Wing: spotted Loon feathers (Black Francolin subbed here) Hackle: brown Head: black herl

Lord Baltimore Tag: oval gold tinsel Tail: black dyed Goose or Turkey Body: orange floss Ribs: black silk floss Wing: black dyed Goose or Turkey Cheeks: Jungle cock Hackle: black

McLeod Tag: oval gold tinsel and yellow silk floss Tail: yellow, red, and brown fibers Butt: red silk floss Rib: black silk floss Body: yellow silk floss Wing: mottled brown hen and red dyed Goose Hackle: yellow Head: black Ostrich herl

New Lake Tag: flat silver tinsel Tail: red Goose and Mallard Body: flat silver tinsel Rib: oval silver tinsel Hackle: red palmered Wing: Golden Pheasant tail Hackle: red Head: red wool

Parmachene Beau Tag: silver tinsel Tail: red and white Butt: black herl Body: yellow floss Rib: oval silver tinsel Wing: white and Jungle Cock Hackle: red and white Head: black Ostrich herl

Parmachene Belle Tag: oval silver tinsel Tail: red and white Butt: Peacock herl Body: yellow floss Rib: flat silver tinsel Hackle: yellow palmered Wing: red and white Hackle collar: red Head: red

Sheenan Tag: silver tinsel Tail: Golden Pheasant tippet Butt: red chenille Body: yellow floss with black hackle palmered front half of body Wing: grey Mallard Hackle collar: black Head: Red

Yellow Betsy Tail: Wood Duck Body: orange chenille Wing: Wood Duck breast Hackle: brown