FLYMPH FORUM

My thanks to Andrew Herd for this fly from Thomas Hofland's The British Angler's Manual, 1839.

Hook-Dai Riki 070 #12
Thread-Pearsall's Primrose Yellow
Body-Marten Fur
Hackle-Starling

IMGP0167 by William Lovelace, on Flickr

Bill from what part of the starling did you get the white feather...

Ron,

It is a light gray underwing feather. The text calls for 'The lightest part of a feather from a young starling's wing." I have no idea of the age of my starling.

Great looking dirty yellow pattern. This color is good for all kinds of bugs.

Bill - Is that martin fur dyed?

Ray the dubbing came off the most yellow part of the piece of tanned Marten hide I have (probably part of a coat collar).
IMGP0168 by William Lovelace, on Flickr

I suspect the belly fur would have been more appropriate for the fly. The tips of the fur are yellow but the roots fade to a creamy tan.My dubbing looks more of a tan when blended but lightly dubbed on the silk the eye (and camera) is fooled into seeing something more in line with the idea from the original.

Here is the text from Herd's book Trout Fly Patterns 1496-1916 the History of flyfishing Volume Two

Pale Yellow Dun
Wings: The lightest part of a feather from a young starling's wing.
Body:Yellow Mohair, or martin's pale yellow fur, tied with yellow silk.
Hook: No. 12

Here is an updated version I will tie at the 2023 Pacific Northwest Expo...

RIMG9222 by William Lovelace, on Flickr

I am using the same Marten dubbing but have subbed UTC 70 Yellow for the original silk and Whiting Natural Dun Hen cape feathers are a very good color match for the Starling and much easier to use.

That’s a great tie ! I particularly like the wispiness of hair fibers coming off the body, It’s got PMD all over it.

Reading through Hofland’s book it appears to me that all of his flies are winged except for a couple of palmers. The illustration quality is poor but number 7 is the fly in question.

https://archive.org/details/britishangl ... 1/mode/1up

Bill, bring a box full of those flies to Western Colorado. Size 16 thru 12. Nymphing to swinging, you will not be disappointed .