A necessary staple.

[Smuggler]

After work I was paging through my copy of North Country flies by Robert Smith. Page 189 is one of my favorite plates, the Yorkshire Greenwell.

This fly is very attractive with its woodcock slips for wings and the nice webby furnace hackle. Masterfully tied.



I sat down and tried my best to copy this pattern. My thread isn't very dark but, once the wax sets I'm sure it will darken up a bit more. I'd love a nice webby coch-y-bonddu or furnace just to tie this patten but, I'm sure they're hard to come across. I don't really care for the whiting hen capes too much because the underside of each feather is very pale. That's undesirable to me.

Anyways, just thought I'd share my take of this wonderful fly!

[DUBBN]

I grew up tying with game rooster and hen hackle. These birds were bred for the pit, not the color of their undersides, or the length of the feather. I bless the day I found Whiting. Light underside or not.
Your rendition of the Yorkshire Greenwell is superb. I wish I could tie a winged wet as well.

[William Anderson]

Eric, I would have to scrounge around to find just the materials to reproduce this fly, although they must be around here somewhere. The classic example shown by Smith is what I imagine this fly to look like decades ago and you've really nailed the copy. I've seen your past versions of this fly, equally on par with this, but you've really stepped up to produce a beautiful fishing fly. I've seen several of our members tie this pattern and I know it works as I've seen several of you succeed using it. It's something I have yet to tie seriously but I know I should carry a few. Maybe I will this year. Beautiful pattern. If you need darker wax let me know, I have just the thing.

[DOUGSDEN]

Eric,
I think I have died and gone to Greenwell heaven! First of all, your rendition is absolutely killer! Just as beautiful as the one listed above it. Thanks for sharing the page and the pattern from your book by Robert Smith (I gotta get that one soon! It looks delicious!). Do you fish Greenwells often and when you do, are they killers?
A winged beauty for sure Eric! You did good and I always look forward to seeing your name on the marquee!
Very impressed D.

[zen leecher]

Eric,
I think I have died and gone to Greenwell heaven! First of all, your rendition is absolutely killer! Just as beautiful as the one listed above it. Thanks for sharing the page and the pattern from your book by Robert Smith (I gotta get that one soon! It looks delicious!). Do you fish Greenwells often and when you do, are they killers?
A winged beauty for sure Eric! You did good and I always look forward to seeing your name on the marquee!
Very impressed D.

I've got some of Eric's March Browns and can say he's a very talented fly tyer.

[tie2fish]

Wayne has used the best possible descriptive word for your version, Eric ... "superb".

[Old Hat]

Top notch Eric, simply top notch.

[letumgo]

Superb indeed! Kudos Eric.

I noticed you comment about the hackle. Have you tried any of Charlie Collins greenwell (furnace) hen hackle? Bill picked me up a greenwell hen set a few years ago at the New Jersey fly fishing show. The color and texture of the hackle is great.

William - Would you mind posting a picture of the darker wax you mentioned? Is it a cobblers wax? I have some of Bill Bailey's dark cobblers wax. I'd like to see you your wax compares in color.

[William Anderson]

Ray, mine is also the Bailey cobblers wax, same as yours.

[letumgo]

Okay. Thanks.