FLYMPH FORUM

Famous Flies and Their Originators, 1972, T. Donald Overfield.

There were 12 patterns listed in this publication under "A Selection of Flies by V.S. Hidy"
This was a fun set to tie. There were some interesting dubbing combinations in this set. I made extra for later dates as there was a lot of mixing being done. I don't know how true to the colors I am. There were no photos and only the recipes. It doesn't matter a whole lot as colors would be fairly specific to region or drainage anyway. A couple were not really what I would think of as a flymphs but were directed to be dressed "flymph" style. As far as hooks go all the patterns were listed as a long shank mayfly hook except the Hare's Ear Sedge, Black Gnat and Brown Hackle which were listed as either round bend or wide gap hooks.

The 12 patterns are:

Blue Dun (light)
Primrose silk
Body of white fox fur blended with Hare's cheek fur
Ribbing of gold wire (optional)
Hackled with light blue dun or starling feather from the marginal coverts
Whisks of light blue dun hackle fibers Blue Dun (medium)
Primrose silk
Body of muskrat fur blended with blue wool dubbing
Ribbing of gold wire (optional)
Hackled with medium blue dun or starling feather from the marginal coverts
Whisks of medium blue dun hackle fibers Iron Blue Dun
Claret or black silk
Body of mole fur on claret or black silk
Hackled with dark blue dun, starling or coot
Whisks of dark blue dun hackle fibers

Tups Indispensable
Primrose silk
Body of pink and yellow wool mixed with a small pinch of hare's cheek fur
Hackled with medium honey-dun or rusty blue dun
Whisks of honey-dun. Blue-Winged Olive
Primrose or green silk
Body of green wool and olive seal's fur
Hackled with medium blue dun
Whisks of blue dun hackle fibers Pale Evening Dun
Primrose or white silk
Body of creamy red fox fur
Hackled of pale honey dun
Whisks of pale honey dun

Cahill (light)
White or primrose silk
Body of hare's cheek fur mixed with creamy fox fur
Hackle with ginger
Whisks of ginger March Brown
Orange silk
Body of hare's poll fur and orange-brown wool
Ribbing of primrose silk or gold wire
Hackled with brown partridge
Whisks of brown partridge Hare's Ear Sedge
Ash or grey silk
Body of hare's ear and hare's poll fur
Ribbing of narrow gold tinsel
Hackle of medium to dark blue dun
Whisks of blue dun

Black Gnat
Grey silk
Body of 3 strands from the crow wing feather
Hackle of purplish starling neck hackle
No whisks Brown Hackle
Claret silk
Body of brown mohair blended with fur from the hare's poll
Ribbing of narrow gold tinsel
Hackle with brown badger hen or golden furnace
No whisks Stone Fly
Orange silk
Body of orange-yellow dubbing of wool mixed with fur from the hare's poll
Ribbing hackle of dark honey
Head hackle of dark cream or dark Cree grizzly
No whisks

Masterful tying, Carl. Everything fits the Hidy mold, but your fur blends are especially well done. IMO, these in a frame mount would be a real work of art.

Thanks Bill,
I enjoyed mixing the dubbing as much as tying I think.
The plan is to mount these in a shallow shadow box.

Your passion for these flymphs comes thru in every aspect of this post. Exemplary in every detail.

These may be headed for a frame, but I bet the ones you fish look just as nice.

Super nice.I haven't tied any of the L & H dressings for several years but you got me going now! Thanks.

Bob

A lot of thought and work has gone into this and the result is really impressive and consistent.
Masterful.

And yes, blending dubbing is really fun!

dd

Hi Carl,
I've enjoyed following these patterns as you posted them on Instagram, and am happy to see them presented here so beautifully. Dad spent a lot of time teaching others how to tie these, and would be happy to know that you are carrying on, all these decades later. Your photography is also superb.

Because you are both an expert tier, and a fly-tying scholar, you have gotten about as close as possible, which Bill Shuck has also done.

Dad would have been particularly pleased by your Brown Hackle, which was his most distinctive innovation—a totally different fly from Leisenring's Brown Hackle, which had a bronze-colored peacock herl body.

Lance