Vintage Streamers

Vintage streamers

Bob Petti

I have long been a student of classic fly tying - especially streamers and wet flies. I am not alone in that regard - as there has been an obvious resurgence in popularity of these flies as evidenced by numerous books, magazine articles, and web sites putting a new spin on a very old tale. While this is all good - I would hate to see these styles of flies go the way of greenheart rods and blueback trout - I have noticed that not all the tyers of these flies have a solid foundation in the history and original designs they are mimicking, and I'll admit it sometimes bugs me. To see a Carrie Stevens fly that is misproportioned with elements out of place, yet tied to surgical precision, irks me like a stone in my wading shoe.

I had those thoughts in mind when I saw a post by Ted Patlen on a fly tying bulletin board. It was a simple post - a photo of a group of flies and a short statement stating his intention of tying the flies as close as possible to the way the originator tied the flies. The selection was great - all the big names and styles were represented. The quality of tying was what you would expect from someone of Ted's caliber - well tied flies but tied for fishing in the way a commercial tier of the time would produce them.

His post stuck with me for awhile, before I got up the gumption to send him an email saying a) cool!, b) I appreciate his persistence in presenting the historical aspect of streamer fly tying, and c) I think what you are doing is worth sharing with a larger audience. In short, I asked if he would be interested in submitting his flies to GFF for an article showing in definitive fashion how these flies were offered by their originators - and how they should be tied today if people want to be historically accurate.

All flies tied by Ted Patlen

Black Ghost Originator: Herb Welch Tail: Yellow Hackle Barbs Rib: Flat Silver Tinsel Body: Black Floss Throat: Yellow Hackle Barbs Wing: White Saddle Hackles (4) Cheek: Jungle Cock
Black Nosed Dace Originator: Art Flick Tail: Red Wool Yarn, short Rib: Oval Silver Tinsel Body: Flat Silver Tinsel Wing: Natural White Polar Bear, then Black Skunk or Bear, then Brown Bucktail (bottom to top)
Black and White Originator: Austin Hogan Tail: Red Hackle Barbs Body: Flat Silver Tinsel Belly: Pink Bucktail Throat: Red Hackle Barbs Wing: White Hackles flanked on the outside by Black Hackles with the bottom of the hackle stripped Shoulder: Black Duck Flank Cheek: Jungle Cock
Brook Trout Originator: Lew Oatman Tail: Orange hackle barbs Body: Read three fourths white floss, front one fourth salmon pink floss, tapered Rib: Flat Gold Tinsel Throat: Orange hackle barbs Underwing: Sparse orange bucktail to the end of tail Wing: Olive over grizzly hackles. The outer olive wing is spotted with red and yellow dots along the center stem. Cheek: Jungle Cock Head: Olive, with the bottom half painted white
Bumblepuppy Originator: Theodore Gordon Tail: Red Hackle Fibers Body: White Chenille Rib: A single strand of Red Wool Yarn Hackle: Four turns of large white hackle followed by four more turns of red hackle. Wing: White Bucktail with slips of brown mottled turkey along the side and upper edge of the bucktail. The bottom half of the bucktail wing is cut square half the wing length.
Cain's River Silver Doctor Originator: Fred N. Peet and C. Jim Pray Tail: Matched sections of barred woodduck Body: Flat Silver Tinsel Wing: Brown hackle outside of which is grizzly hackle extending well beyond the tail Hackle: A full collar in front of the wing comprised of a few turns of French Blue followed by a few turns of Grizzly.
Chief Needahbeh Originator: Chief Needahbeh Head: Black Tail: A section of red duck or goose quill Body: Red Silk. Tthe original version has a red hackle "throat" one third of the way forward on the body. Rib: Narrow Flat Silver Tinsel Throat: A red saddle hackle tied on as a collar after the wing has been applied. It is dressed rather full. Wing: A red saddle hackle on each side of two yellow saddle hackles. Cheeks: Jungle Cock
Edson Dark Tiger Bucktail Originator: Bill Edson Head: Yellow Tail: The tips of two extremely small yellow neck hackles, back to back Body: Wound with fine yellow chenille Throat: The tips of two extremely small red neck hackles Wing: A small bunch of the brown hair from a bucktail dyed yellow, extending just beyond the bend of the hook. Cheeks: Gold metal "Edson" cheeks
Green Beauty Originator: Carrie Stevens Head: Black (original with signature red band) Tag: Four or five turns of narrow flat silver tinsel Body: Dressed thin with orange floss Rib: Narrow flat silver tinsel Throat: An extremeley small bunch of white bucktail extending beyond the barb of the hook, under which is a golden pheasant crest feather as long as the shoulder and curving upward Wing: Five or six strands of bright green peacock herl, over which are four olive-green saddle hackles Shoulders: Woodduck Flank Cheeks: Jungle Cock
Hewitt Streamer Originator: Ed Hewitt Head: Black Body: Narrow slip of red duck quill Tail: Red Hackle Barbs Rib: Narrow flat silver tinsel Wing: Silver Badger, long Cheeks: Jungle Cock NOTE: Ed Hewitt was known for using what many may think as undersized hooks on his flies - such as his Neversink Skaters and the streamer shown here. This was a size 16 up-eye sproat-bend dry fly hook.
Jesse Wood Streamer Originator: Jesse Wood Head: Black Tail: A narrow section of red duck wing quill, rather long Body: Flat Silver Tinsel Rib: Oval Silver Tinsel Throat: Furnace hackle tied around the hook and bunched downward, short and thinly dressed. Wing: Two Bali Duck shoulder feathers extending just beyond the tail. Cheeks: Jungle Cock
Ken Lockwood Originator: Rube Cross Head: Black Body: Scarlet Floss Rib: Flat Silver Tinsel Throat: White bucktail, as long as the wing Wing: Blck Bucktail
Morning Glory Originator: Carrie Stevens Head: Black (original with signature red band) Tag: A few turns of flat silver tinsel Body: Red Floss Rib: Flat Silver Tinsel Throat: White bucktail beneath which is a black silver pheasant crest feather and then a very small bunch of blue hackle fibers. Wing: A black silver pheasant crest feather as long as the saddle hackles and curving downward, over which are four bright yellow saddle hackles. Shoulders: Red Mackaw body feather Cheeks: Jungle Cock
Muddler Minnow Originator: Don Gapen Head: Black Tail: A small section of natural turkey wing quill, slightly longer than the hook gap Body: Flat gold tinsel Wing: A moderately large bunch of gray squirrel tail on each side of which is a fairly large section of natural turkey wing quill tied on nearly as long as the squirrel tail Shoulders: Natural deer hair, spun on to surround the hook, flatted and clipped short at the front and tapering long backward, leaving a small part as long as possible. Read much more here.
Superviser Originator: Joseph Stickney Head: Black Tail: A thin section of red wool, rather short Body: Embossed silver tinsel Rib: Oval Silver Tinsel Throat: A small bunch of white hackle fibers Wing: An extremely small bunch of white bucktail, over which are four very light blue saddle hackles, both extending well beyond the tail. Topping: Six or seven strands of peacock herl, as long as the wing Shoulders: Pale green shoulder hackle, two thirds as long as the wing. Cheeks: Jungle Cock
York's Kennebago Originator: Bert Quimby Head: Black Tag: Three or four turns of narrow flat silver tinsel Tail: Golden Pheasant Crest, curing upward Butt: Two or three turns of scarlet silk Body: Flat silver tinsel Rib: Oval Silver Tinsel Throat: A small bunch of red hackle fibers Wing: Four golden badger hackles with a pronounced black stripe, longer than average Topping: A small bunch of red hackle fibers Cheeks: Jungle Cock