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Sunday, August 27, 2017

Zane Grey's Flybox by Rich Domingue


  • Zane Grey’s Flybox
    By Rich Domingue for FCC
    When I decided to recreate Zane Grey’s flybox from his halcyon days (1920s through his death in 1938)
    on Oregon’s Rogue and North Umpqua Rivers, I figured it would be a few days of research to determine
    his favorite patterns, then a few hours to tie them. That was about a year ago. For the most part, this
    delay was merely life’s interventions, but identifying the flies, and worse, finding detailed patterns for
    some of them, was an adventure. For example, among his ‘favorites’ was a fly he called the grouse and
    gold. Searching for this pattern led mostly to small trout wet flies, unsuitable for steelhead. Further
    searching led to a c. 1920 Hardy’s catalog which had a sea-trout pattern in steelhead sizes, the grouse and
    orange, which was ribbed in gold, with a grouse wing, that is the one I chose to tie. Similarly, did his
    ‘favorite’ “professor with jungle cock wings” mean JC eyes, or hackle feathers? I tied both. In general,
    ZG’s writing on fishing for steelhead focused on the adventure itself, not “how to”, or “what to use”, so
    the flies he used were seldom mentioned, and I never found a detailed pattern. I don’t believe he tied.
    What is known is that he purchased flies from Hardy’s, Orvis, and others, including locals to fill his
    boxes and these are the sources for several of the patterns in this collection. He purchased flies from
    Hardy’s and likely carried a number of full-dressed salmon patterns, but the dusty miller is the only one I
    found named. Trey Combs black and white photo of Joe Wharton’s hairwing version is the only example
    of the turkey and red pattern Grey used I could find. My search for a turkey and red pattern with real
    turkey wings, similar to Joe’s and available in the 20’s, eventually led me to the light Montreal found in
    M.O. Marbury’s book Favorite Flies and Their Histories. I tied the flies on ‘period’ style hooks to the
    extent I had them and I tried to keep the historical flavor and character of the flies in the few liberties I
    took with the patterns.
    In reading Grey’s stories about fishing the PNW and other places (Terry Mort’s anthology Zane Grey
    on Fishing), and stories about him by others (Trey Combs’ Steelhead Fly Fishing)– it became clear that
    he enjoyed a long, rich, and adventurous angling career. His writings about fishing the PNW provide a
    fun look back at the ‘good ol’ days, his entourage’s adventures, and their comical misadventures. I
    especially enjoyed the misadventures, told in a humorous self-deprecating style that left me to wonder
    if Patrick McManus filched some of his characters (e.g. Rancid Crabtree) from Grey’s entourage. Yes,
    the fishing was great by today’s standards, but his writing included laments about clear-cutting the
    forests that fed his favorite waters, aware even then of the need for protection. Steelheaders who have
    “… sallied forth to meet certain defeat,” would enjoy ZG’s fishing stories.
    The flies are from yesteryear, but they’d be right at home on the Rogue or N. Umpqua today.
    Grouse and gold
    Parmachene belle
    Golden demon
    Turkey and red
    Turkey and gold
    Hairwing coachman
    Hairwing royal coachman *
    1
    1
    *
    I found no evidence that ZG used this y, but it
    is a popular PNW steelhead y and was widely
    available at the me. It is quite possible that his
    hairwing coachman carried the red badge of
    royalty.
  • Dusty miller
  • Grouse and gold (adapted from: Grouse and orange,
    Hardy’s catalog c. 1920)
    Tag: flat gold tinsel (#10)
    Body: golden orange floss, ribbed with fine oval gold
    tinsel
    Hackle: badger
    Wing: grouse tail
    Collar: grouse body feather
    Head: tan thread
    Hook: #4 Mustad 36890
    Parmacheene belle (this is a landlocked salmon fly
    pattern dating to the mid 1800s)
    Tag: flat silver tinsel (#10)
    Body: lemon yellow mohair, ribbed with fine silver
    tinsel (some patterns specify gold tinsel)
    Tail: red over white quill sections
    Hackle: dyed red and white hen hackle
    Wing: White over red over white quill sections
    Head: black thread
    Hook: #4 Mustad 7970
    Hairwing Coachman (in the style of Mary Orvis
    Marbury)
    Tag: flat gold tinsel (#10)
    Tail: wood duck barred flank
    Butt: red wool
    Body: peacock
    Wing: White bucktail (I subbed polar bear)
    Hackle: brown (subbed furnace)
    Head: black thread
    Hook: #3 Mustad 9002
  • Golden Demon (a fly Zane Grey popularized)
    Tag: flat gold tinsel (#10)
    Tail: golden pheasant crest (I added a touch of orange
    feather fluff)
    Body: small gold braid wound tight and close
    Wing: brown bucktail (I subbed silver-tipped grizzly
    bear)
    Sides: jungle cock eyes
    Hackle: fire orange
    Head: fire orange thread
    Hook: #4 Tiemco 200R
    Turkey and Gold (streamer style)
    Tag: small gold braid
    Butt: red wool
    Body: medium flat gold tinsel ribbed with small gold
    braid
    Wing: turkey secondary quills
    Sides: wood duck barred flank (optional)
    Hackle: coq de leon or similar
    Head: red wool
    Hook: #2 Mustad 9575
    Hairwing Royal Coachman)
    Tail: golden pheasant tippet
    Body: peacock herl with red silk floss in the middle
    Wing: white bucktail (I used polar bear)
    Hackle: cochy bondhu or similar
    Head: black thread
    Hook: #4 Tiemco 700
    Turkey and Red Hairwing (tied in the style of Joe
    Wharton)
    Tag: fine oval gold braid
    Tail: red hackle
    Body: red silk floss ribbed with fine oval gold tinsel
    Wing: brown bucktail
    Hackle: fiery red
    Head: black thread
    Hook: #2 Mustad 7970
  • Light Montreal (Mary Orvis Marbury – assumed
    original for Z. Grey’s turkey and red)
    Tag: fine oval gold tinsel
    Tail: scarlet ibis (subbed hackle tip)
    Body: scarlet silk floss ribbed with fine oval gold
    tinsel
    Wing: turkey wing
    Hackle: scarlet
    Head: black thread
    Hook: #3 Mustad 9002
  • Professor (with jungle cock eye wings)
    Tail: red Goose
    Body: light yellow silk floss ribbed with fine flat
    silver tinsel
    Wing: jungle cock eyes (mallard breast in original)
    Hackle: brown (subbed ginger furnace)
    Head: black thread (subbed light grey)
    Hook: #2 Mustad 511c
    Professor (with jungle cock hackle wings)
    Tail: red Goose
    Body: light yellow silk floss ribbed with fine flat
    silver tinsel
    Wing: jungle cock hackle tips (mallard breast in
    original)
    Hackle: brown (subbed ginger furnace)
    Head: black thread (subbed light grey)
    Hook: #2 Mustad 511c
    Dusty Miller (per G. Kelson, graciously tied by
    Adrian Cortes for this collection)
    Tag: silver twist and yellow silk floss
    Tail: golden pheasant topping with Indian crow
    substitute over
    Butt: black osterich herl
    Body:first two-thirds of silver embossed tinsel
    followed by orange silk floss with yellow olive
    hackle, all ribbed with silver twist
    Throat: Gallina, (guinea fowl)
    Wing: Underwing: white tipped black turkey –
    headwing: golden pheasant tail, bustard, guinea with
    sides of golden pheasant crest tied curving upward.
    Roof: Bronze mallard
    Sides: Jungle cock and pintail
    Horns: Blue macaw
    Head: Black