Preston Jennings' flies
Preston Jennings was one of those rare individuals who saw things differently than most folks. It would certainly be in our best interested to learn more about his work and his thoughts on color separation when we design our own flies. Bob Petti shows you a few patterns in the Streamer Section.
"The proper coloring of the lure is determined by viewing the object which it is desired to simulate through a prism and coloring the lure in exactly the same manner as it appears through the prism."
The above quote was taken from a Patent Number 2,188,753 which was assigned to Mr. Preston Jennings of Brooklyn, New York in January of 1940*. It offers a clear and consice description of what he was attempting with many of his designs, both streamers, nymphs, and wet flies. While his flies may not be"in vogue" in the 21st Century, his ideas should not be tossed aside as outdated. Mr. Jennings was one of those rare individuals who saw things differently than most folks. It would certainly be in our best interested to learn more about his work and his thoughts on color separation when we design our own flies. To learn more about Mr. Jennings, there is an excellent chapter in the recent Schmookler and Sils book Forgotten Flies.
I first learned of Mr. Jennings' flies from the reference source for most streamer information, Col. Bates' Streamer Fly Tying and Fishing. The 1995 edition features a plate of authentic Iris streamers tied by the originator and photographed brilliantly by Mr. Michael Radencich. The bright colors
of the Iris #1 caught my eye immediately. With the publication of the Schmookler and Sils book, it became apparent that there was more than enough material for Raske's band of streamer flingers to pay homage to this pioneer of fly design.
Bob Petti
October 2000
* This information was supplied by the American Museum of Fly Fishing, courtesy of Lindsey Grandison.
Murky Iris
Tied by Bryant Freeman
|
Hook: |
Partridge CS-17 Ken Baker |
|
Tag: |
Oval Gold Tinsel |
|
Tail: |
Golden Pheasant Crest, Dyed Red |
|
Body: |
Flat Gold Tinsel |
|
Rib: |
Oval Gold Tinsel |
|
Wing: |
From bottom to top - pink swan, orange swan, four strands of peacock herl, green swan, hyacinth macaq, on each side a red cock hackle |
|
Hackle: |
Orange |
|
Sides: |
Badger Hackle |
|
Cheek: |
Jungle Cock |
|
Head: |
Black fore and red thread aft |
Lord Iris
Tied by Bob Petti
|
Hook: |
Daiichi 2340 |
|
Tail: |
Married strips of swan, red over blue over yellow. |
|
Body: |
Flat Gold Tinsel |
|
Rib: |
Oval Gold Tinsel |
|
Hackle: |
Yellow |
|
Wing: |
Furnace Hackles |
|
Sides: |
Married strips of swan, red over blue over yellow |
|
Cheek: |
Jungle Cock |
|
Head: |
Black |
Iris #4
Tied by Chris Del Plato
|
Hook: |
Partridge CS-17 Ken Baker |
|
Tag: |
Flat Gold Tinsel |
|
Body: |
Dark Red Floss |
|
Rib: |
Flat Gold Tinsel |
|
Wing: |
Polar bear or bucktail - blue over brown. |
|
Cheek: |
Jungle Cock |
|
Head: |
Black fore and red thread aft |
Silhouette Minnow, Light
Tied by R. Emmett Johnson
|
Hook: |
Gaelic Supreme Mike Martinek |
|
Tag: |
Flat Silver Tinsel |
|
Tail: |
Black Cock Hackle |
|
Body: |
Black Floss |
|
Rib: |
Flat Silver Tinsel |
|
Wing: |
Four White Cock Hackle |
|
Hackle: |
Grizzly Cock Hackle |
|
Cheek: |
Jungle Cock |
|
Head: |
Black red fore and red thread aft |
Iris #3
Tied by R. Emmett Johnson
|
Hook: |
Up-eye Salmon Hook |
|
Tag: |
Oval Gold Tinsel |
|
Body: |
Flat Gold Tinsel |
|
Rib: |
Oval Gold Tinsel |
|
Wing: |
Top to bottom - Dark Blue Bucktail or Polar Bear, Medium Green, Red |
|
Cheek: |
Jungle Cock |
|
Head: |
Black red fore and red thread aft |
Iris #2
Tied by R. Emmett Johnson
|
Hook: |
Up-eye Salmon Hook |
|
Tag: |
Oval Silver Tinsel |
|
Body: |
Flat Silver Tinsel |
|
Rib: |
Oval Silver Tinsel |
|
Wing: |
Top to Bottom - Blue Bucktail or Polar Bear, Light Green, Orange, Red. |
|
Cheek: |
Jungle Cock |
|
Head: |
Black red fore and red thread aft |
Lady Iris Streamer
Tied by Lindsey Grandison
|
Hook: |
Mustad 94720 |
|
Tag: |
Oval Silver Tinsel |
|
Tail: |
Golden Pheasant Tippet and Lady Amherst Crest |
|
Body: |
Flat Silver Tinsel |
|
Rib: |
Oval Silver Tinsel |
|
Wing: |
Bottom to Top - Red Swan, Yellow Swan, Green Swan, Blue Swan, Four strands of Peacock Herl, a Yellow Cock Hackle on each side |
|
Hackle: |
Yellow |
|
Sides: |
Badger Hackle |
|
Cheek: |
Jungle Cock |
|
Head: |
Black fore and red thread aft |
Unidentified
Tied by Robb Nicewonger
|
Hook: |
Gaelic Supreme Mike Martinek |
|
Tag: |
Oval Silver Tinsel |
|
Body: |
Flat Silver Tinsel |
|
Rib: |
Oval Silver Tinsel |
|
Wing: |
Light Purple Bucktail underwing, Two Medium Blue Cock Hackles |
|
Hackle: |
Light Purple Cock hackle |
|
Sides: |
Badger Hackle |
|
Head: |
Black |
Iris #1
Tied by Bob Skehan
|
Hook: |
Mustad 9575, size 6 |
|
Body: |
Medium flat silver tinsel |
|
Ribbing: |
Very fine oval silver tinsel |
|
Wing: |
A very small bunch of red polar bear hair, over which is a very small bunch of yellow polar bear hair, over which is a very small bunch of pale green polar bear hair, with a very small bunch of light blue polar bear hair over this. (bucktail may be substituted for the polar bear hair, if desired) |
|
Head: |
Black, with painted red band at rear |
|
Cheeks: |
Jungle cock |
Silhouette Minnow, Dark
Tied by Darren Bua
|
Hook: |
Mustad 94720 |
|
Tag: |
Oval Silver Tinsel |
|
Tail: |
Yellow Golden Pheasant Flank Fibers |
|
Body: |
Flat Silver Tinsel |
|
Rib: |
Oval Silver Tinsel |
|
Wing: |
Four Black Cock Hackles |
|
Hackle: |
Blue Cock Hackle |
|
Cheek: |
Jungle Cock |
|
Head: |
Black |
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