The Evolution of the Featherwinged Salmon Flies - The Rangers

The Rangers
The Rangers are a group of flies said to be derived at least in part from the Parson family of flies.  The relationship can be seen in the use of whole golden pheasant tippets as the basis of the wing.  In the Rangers however, there are two pairs, one slightly shorter then the other, arranged so that the outside pair has its black tip on the lower black bar of the slightly longer inside pair.  These two pairs are enveloping an elongated pair of Jungle cock neck feathers.  This arrangement is known as the Ranger wing and is characteristic of Ranger family flies. 

This family comprises the Durham and Black Rangers, each pattern having multiple variations, the Blue, Red, Silver, Gold, Green, Irish and Erne, though the last two do not have a Ranger wing.  Flies sharing the Ranger wing but not called Rangers include the Stevenson group of flies and the Lady Amherst, which is essentially a Ranger except using Lady Amherst tippets instead of golden pheasant tippets in the wing.  I shall discuss those flies in a later entry. In this article we shall deal mainly with the Durham Ranger, which, while not the oldest, is arguably the most popular of the Ranger family. 

According to Francis Francis, the Durham Ranger was a favourite on the Tweed, but also good anywhere else.  It is the earliest Durham Ranger pattern I could find, from “A Book on Angling” publishing in 1867.  Mikael Frodin gives credit to William Henderson, for this fly and a date of 1840-1845.  I note however, that Francis Francis himself says of the list of flies he gives for the Tweed, including the Durham Ranger, “The above patterns are all from the repertoire of my old acquaintance, James Wright of Sprouston, a first rate artist.”  He does not say when however or state whether or not James Wright actually invented these flies, most specifically the Durham Ranger.  George M. Kelson however does give Wright the credit, and is most certainly wrong, though it may have been Wright who tied the first ones commercially.

A web search online for William Henderson revealed he had written a book “My Life as and Angler” published in in 1879 by W. Satchell, Peyton & Co. London.  On page 131, in an entry there in for February 20, 1846, he states that the Durham Ranger was invented by a Mr. Scruton, and on that day caught a 30 ½ lb salmon.  This is repeated again in a table on page 308 giving himself as the lucky angler.  On page 219 we see an entry dated Nov. 10, 1860, for a Ranger (black body) that brought in two salmon, of 18 and 23lbs respectively, and could deduce from that (if we didn't already know) that by then the Black Ranger had already been invented as well. Page 310 shows a November 26, 1866 entry for a blue bodied Ranger, fished by William Henderson at Sprouston, for a salmon of 26lbs.

So, on examination of the flies, many similarities can be seen in the Parsons and Rangers, and their later derivations.  That one derived from the other however, is an interesting question.  There was an air of creative energy on the Erne in the late 1830’s and early 1840’s. Likewise, it seems that at Sprouston, on the Tweed similar energy was in play.  Given the distance between Ireland and England at the time, and the difficulty of travel for all but the better off, on the surface it would seem an unlikely derivation.  The speed and efficiency of the postal and other communications systems was decent however, and the fishing fraternity was a relatively small and closed set of folks. It is highly likely that something seen on the Erne that appealed to the English salmon angler might be taken home to be copied and altered to suit the salmon of the home rivers.

I could find no actual pattern for the Durham, or the Black bodied or Blue bodied Rangers in Henderson’s book, so list the pattern from Francis Francis as follows:

The Durham Ranger
Tip: silver twist
Tag: golden silk
Tail: topping
Butt: Black herl
Body: 2 turns orange floss, 2 of dark orange, claret and black pigs wool, black wool picked out at breast
Ribbing: ?
Hackle: red-orange stained coch y bondu on the wool
Throat: two turns black then light blue
Wing: double tippets over 2 long jungle cock, topping over
Cheeks: Kingfisher
Shoulder: none
Horns: Blue Macaw

You will note that in the original pattern, he does not actually list a ribbing, It is implied from later patterns.  Also, the jungle cock shoulder we are used to seeing in today’s version is absent. 

George M. Kelson credits James Wright with the Durham Ranger, at least with the pattern he includes for it in his book.  It is rather different in some details from the original, but is still a close cousin.  The pattern is listed below:

The Durham Ranger
Tip: silver twist
Tag: yellow floss
Tail: topping and Indian crow
Butt: Black herl
Body: 2 turns orange silk, 2 turns dark orange seal, rest black seal
Ribbing: silver lace and silver tinsel
Hackle: orange dyed white coch-a-bonddu along the fur,
Throat: light blue throat
Wing: double tippets over 2 long jungle cock, topping over
Cheeks: chatterer
Shoulder: none
Horns: blue macaw
Head: black Berlin wool

Next in line is the pattern as listed by Sir Herbert Maxwell.  It's similarity to the previous patterns is obvious, with the usual Maxwell touches, the black chenille butt and head. 

The Durham Ranger
Tip: silver wire
Tag: gold floss
Tail: topping
Butt: black chenille
Body: 1/5 orange floss, orange, claret and black pig’s wool picked out
Ribbing: silver tinsel
Hackle: coch y bondu dyed orange
Throat: black and sky blue over
Wing: double tippets over 2 long jungle cock, topping over
Cheeks: chatterer
Shoulder: none
Horns: blue macaw
Head: black chenille

Another lovely pattern, probably also the most popular one today is the pattern by Dr. T. E. Pryce-Tannatt.  This is the earliest version I have seen where the shoulder of jungle cock feathers was used. The pattern is as follows: 

The Durham Ranger
Tip: silver tinsel
Tag: none
Tail: topping and Indian crow
Butt: black herl
Body: lemon floss, orange, fiery brown and black seal in equal portions
Ribbing: flat silver and twist
Hackle: badger dyed yellow
Throat: light blue
Wing: double tippets over 2 long jungle cock, topping over
Shoulder: jungle cock
Cheeks:  chatterer
Horns: blue and yellow macaw

Eric Taverner, writing in “Fly Tying for Salmon,” 1942 lists this same pattern as does Poul Jorgensen, “Salmon Flies,” 1978,  and Joseph Bates, “Fishing Atlantic Salmon, the Flies and the Patterns,” 1996. 

J. Edson Leonard, a more modern author, listed in "Flies," 1950 three versions of the Durham Ranger, a “Scotch," a “Welsh” and an undesignated one, along with his Black Ranger, which we shall discuss later.  The patterns are listed below, and the reader should note that despite being markedly different in the materials used in the bodies, the wings are still Ranger wings.  I am curious as to where these patterns actually came from, and why they are so different from the usual Durham Rangers. 

Durham Ranger #1
Tip: silver
Tag: yellow floss
Tail: topping and short silver pheasant crest
Butt: Black herl
Body: claret dubbing
Ribbing: gold
Hackle: claret palmer,
Throat: pale blue throat
Wing: double tippets over 2 long jungle cock, topping over
Cheeks: light blue
Shoulder:

Durham Ranger #2 (Welsh)
Tip:
Tag: gold
Tail: topping and sparse red fibers
Butt: Black herl
Body: ½ aft yellow floss, ½ fore red floss
Ribbing: gold
Hackle: scarlet palmer,
Throat: pale blue front
Wing: double tippets over 2 long jungle cock, 2 toppings over
Cheeks: narrow blue
Shoulder:


Durham Ranger #3 (Scotch)
Tip: silver wire
Tag: yellow floss
Tail: short topping and red fibers
Butt: Black herl
Body: 1/3 aft plain silver tinsel, 2/3 fore oval silver tinsel rib
Ribbing: oval silver tinsel 2/3 fore
Hackle:  scarlet palmer following rib
Throat:
Wing: double tippets over 2 long jungle cock, topping over
Cheeks: chatterer
Shoulder:
Horns: blue and yellow macaw
Head:

The Evolution of the Featherwinged Salmon Flies- the Parson

The Parsons
The Parsons are some of the earlier feather-winged fancy flies, with the Stevensons and Rangers developing from them. Here we see them on size 2/0 Partridge CS10/3 hooks, using all the original materials for the patterns except for the Cock-of-the-Rock. The trio of Parsons at the bottom of the plate are on 2/0 Partridge 10/1 hooks and are my interpretations of patterns mentioned by the old masters but not fully detailed. This is why the modern hook, as it is a modern interpretation which I hope is accurate. The notes I have written are drawn directly from the original master as much as possible, or from Mikael Frodin "Classic Salmon Flies History and Patterns," Stoeger Press, 1991 as noted. 


Some history on the Parson.  Francis Francis, in his book "A Book on Angling" 1867,  introduces the Parson as; "This is a very showy fly, and is used chiefly on the Erne, but it is a capital fly anywhere where a showy fly is required. It is on the Erne rather a generic name for a series of flies than for any special one, as we have there, green parsons, and blue parsons, and golden parsons, and so on. The Parson being merely significant of plenty of toppings in the wing. The Golden Parson, however, is my idea of the fly, and this I will describe." *
Francis also says of the toppings  " These are often tied on with the turn bent upwards at Ballyshannon, and it gives them more play in the water."

* We will get into the actual pattern shortly.

In my investigations, especially with later authors where I have had illustrations as well as text to guide me, I have endeavored to tie the pattern as it was originally, but in reading these thoughts, and the list of patterns provided by Francis Francis and the Rev. Newland, who we shall discuss later, I can not help wondering what these flies would look like tied as for the Ballyshannon as Francis Francis suggests they were.  Something for the reader to visualize as he or she looks over the photographs.

Some more history from Francis Francis. 

In a letter from a Dr. Sheil the "courteous and and liberal proprietor of the Erne" to Francis Francis, (again from his "A Book on Angling" 1867)  we see how the pattern developed.

" My dear Sir,—I send four Parsons I have borrowed from Mr. Hobson, and I will send you a couple made with summer duck in the wing. The first ' Parson,' and called from him, was used by the Rev. Arthur Meyrick of Romsbury; it was two large toppings, a yellow body, yellow hackle, very thin twist run close together up the body—T mean half as close as in any of those flies I send. He said he got it from Lord Bolingbroke at Christchurch. He changed the body to orange; both were silk bodies.
' The late Mr. William Larket, of Derby, put cock of the rock in the wing. I think I put the first fur body to the fly—it was orange pig's wool. Mr. Larket and then Mr. Hobson altered the fur to a mixture of red and yellow. Mr. Hobson added to this the purple and fiery brown under the wing, which Pat McKay borrowed and adopted, and nothing has beaten this pattern."

 The Parson as per Pat McKay (Frodin). Originating on the banks of the Erne in 1836, as Newland says, this is believed to be the template for many of the fancy whole feather-winged salmon flies such as the Stevensons and the Rangers. The main feature of the wing is the single pair of Golden pheasant tippets, overlain with Cock-of-the-Rock, here substituted as Cock-of-the-Rock is very difficult and expensive to obtain' as it was back then also.
The Parson as per Pat McKay (Frodin)
Tip: Fine silver twist
Tag: orange floss
Tail: topping
Butt: none
Body: yellow floss
Ribbing: fine silver tinsel, closely wound
Hackle: lemon-yellow, wound palmer style
Throat: golden yellow, tied full
Wing: two tippets back to back, with three red-tipped toppings curved to meet the tail tip.  Wing should be as full as possible
Cheeks: cock-of-the-rock tied butterfly style, sticking out at the sides
Shoulder: none
Horns: none
Head: golden yellow pigs wool and black silk

The Parson as per Hobson and Larket(Frodin). An early Parson showing the paired tippets and Cock-of-the-Rock in the wing but with an addition of Teal over the Cock-of-the-Rock 

The Parson as Hobson and Larket (Frodin)

Tip: narrow silver twist
Tag: orange floss
Tail: topping and kingfisher
Butt: none
Body: fiery brown and orange pig’s wool mixed
Ribbing: medium silver tinsel
Hackle: olive yellow cocks hackle
Throat: claret dyed cocks hackle, tied in as a ruff after the wing
Wing: two tippets back to back, with three red-tipped toppings curved to meet the tail tip.
Cheeks: narrow strips of teal
Shoulder: none
Horns: blue macaw
Head: black


The Parson as per Larket and Hobson.(Frodin) Another Hobson and Larket Parson, prettier then the last, but keeping to the established form of paired tippets and Cock-of-the-Rock
The Parson as per Hobson and Larket (Frodin)
Tip: narrow silver twist
Tag: mauve floss
Tail: topping, a few strands of tippet and kingfisher
Butt: none
Body: 3 turns golden yellow floss, three turns yellow seal merging into hot orange seal
Ribbing: medium silver tinsel over the seal only
Hackle: hot orange cocks hackle over seal only
Throat: three toppings tied as a throat, long enough to reach the point
Wing: two tippets back to back, thin sections of unbarred wood duck, with three red-tipped toppings over.
Cheeks: cock-of-the-rock followed by a small bunch of hot orange seal this is to be tied in as a small extra head
Shoulder: long blue kingfisher, tied in over the seal and standing out from the body
Horns: blue macaw
Head: black

The Golden Parson as per Francis Francis. 30 years or so after it's beginnings, the original Parson has become the more colourful Parson as shown here, still very similar to it's origins though. Francis Francis writes of this as being a decidedly topping parson, a sort of bishop or archbishop, in fact, and not for every-day use; we only bring him out when the feelings of the salmon, having resisted all ordinary persuasiveness, require to be very strongly appealed to. 
The Golden Parson "Archbishop" as per Francis Francis 1867
Tip: silver tinsel
Tag: mauve floss
Tail: 2 toppings, tippet and kingfisher
Butt: none
Body: golden pigs wool merging into orange
Ribbing: oval silver
Hackle: golden orange over wool
Throat: red-orange, 2 or 3 short toppings over
Wing: tippet and cock of the rock, pintail or wood duck strips, 6-8 toppings over
Cheeks: Kingfisher
Shoulder: none
Horns: blue macaw
Head: black

This is a variation of the Golden Parson as presented by Francis Francis as a more subdued offering.  He referred to it as a "capital working parson, a sort of curate...fit for every-day work" 

The Parson (curate) as per Francis Francis 1867
Tip: silver tinsel
Tag: mauve floss
Tail: 2 toppings, tippet and kingfisher
Butt: none
Body: golden pigs wool merging into orange
Ribbing: oval silver
Hackle: golden olive over wool
Throat: medium claret, Jay over
Wing: tippet and golden pheasant saddles, pintail or wood duck strips, 3-4 or so toppings over
Cheeks: Kingfisher
Shoulder: none
Horns: blue macaw
Head: black

The Yellow Parson as per George M.Kelson deviates in the colour of the body, but still keeps to true Parson form. This is from roughly 1895 or so and is also reproduced in J. J. Hardy's book "Salmon Fishing", 1907.

The Yellow Parson as per George M. Kelson
Tip: silver twist
Tag: violet floss
Tail: topping and tippet
Butt: none
Body: 2 turns yellow silk, followed by yellow seal
Ribbing: oval silver tinsel
Hackle: yellow from the silk
Throat: scarlet, veiled with two toppings
Wing: 2 tippets, strip of barred wood duck, 2 toppings over 
Cheeks: chatterer
Shoulder: none
Horns: blue macaw
Head: none

In John James Hardy's book "Salmon Fishing," 1907, there is a lovely Parson pattern that, though called a Parson, bears no resemblance to any of the other Parsons mentioned, and shares with them very little in terms of commonality.  It is a nice fly however and the pattern is listed below next to the fly.  One wonders if this was really a Parson, or was it mislabeled?  It much more resembles the mixed wings from Newland, back in 1851.This pattern appears again in E. J. Malone's book "Irish Trout and Salmon Flies" 1984, with one single slight discrepancy.  He calls it the "Claret Parson" and lists in the wing "blue peacock" instead of "peacock wing," though in this case I think he is talking about the wing, not the throat or flank, which are the blue parts on a peacock. 
Parson as per John J. Hardy
Tip: gold tinsel
Tag: light orange floss
Tail: topping and chatterer
Butt: Black herl
Body: bright Claret Floss
Ribbing: gold tinsel
Hackle: bright Claret
Throat: Blue cocks hackle
Wing: tippet in strand, dark turkey, yellow, red and blue swan, peacock wing, bustard, golden pheasant tail, wood duck, teal, mallard, guinea fowl, topping over
Cheeks: chatterer
Shoulder: none
Horns: blue macaw
Head: black

The Orange Parson as per Dr. T.E.Pryce-Tannatt. The Parson by 1914 had evolved to this lovely version, still keeping to the pair of tippets, Cock-of-the-Rock and the multiple toppings in the wing how-ever. This is probably the most commonly thought of version today, certainly the most popular.

Orange Parson as per Dr. T. E. Pryce-Tannatt 1914
Tip: silver thread
Tag: lilac floss
Tail: topping and tippet
Butt: none
Body: Orange floss, orange, scarlet, fiery brown seal, well picked out
Ribbing: oval silver
Hackle: lemon
Throat: Cock-of-the-Rock
Wing: 2 tippets veiled with Cock-of-the-Rock, 2 or 3 toppings over
Cheeks: chatterer
Shoulder: barred wood duck
Horns: blue and yellow macaw
Head: black

The Topping Winged Parsons
To introduce this subdivision of the Parson family, I present one of the later Parsons, that to me seems a throwback or a memory perhaps of the style of the patterns some 50 odd years prior to this pattern being described. I do not know if the wings on this version are to be tied inverted or normally, so will tie them normally. 

The Parson as per John H. Hale
Tip: silver twist
Tag: none
Tail: topping and chatterer sideways
Butt: none
Body: 3 turns gold floss, 3 turns gold seal, remainder orange seal
Ribbing: oval silver
Hackle: golden olive
Throat: orange, jay over
Wing: toppings
Cheeks: chatterer
Shoulder: none
Horns: blue macaw
Head: black

Hale's Parson, with its wing composed entirely of toppings harks back to a second branch, if you will, of the Parson family.  These early flies, all called Parsons were characterized by having wings entirely made of toppings, often inverted with the concave side up.  "To give better play in the water" as we have seen quoted earlier from Francis Francis.  The Parson is unique in that there are two entirely separate fly designs, equally valid and reputable that originated with this name.  Pat McKay in 1836 (Frodin) with his whole feather-wing design that we have explored previously, and Michael Rogan, who tied a series of flies for the Rev. Henry Newland, (“The Erne, it’s Legends and its Fly Fishing,” 1851).(Frodin)  These unique patterns are recognized as topping winged flies, but are separated in that the toppings were tied up-side down, i.e. with the concave side facing upwards. They certainly are strange looking flies as compared to more conventional types, but they are still beautiful none-the-less.

Frodin presents a pattern from 1850 as per Michael Rogan for one of these Parsons, and it goes as follows:

Tag: flat silver and purple floss
Tail: a topping, tippet fibres and two small chatterer feathers back to back
Body: two turns of golden floss silk, remainder golden yellow seal’s fur merging into hot orange seal’s fur
Hackle: a hot orange over the seal’s fur
Throat: six toppings tied to curve downwards (ed. note, concave side out)
Wings: seven or eight toppings tied to curve upwards (ed. note. concave side out)
Cheeks: a medium sized golden pheasant tippet feather on each side, about half as long as the wing.
Head: black ostrich and black silk

He mentions other Parson patterns presented in Newland, for example the Brown, the Fiery Brown, the Puce, the Purple and the Hobson Parson.  He also mentions that Michael Rogan popularized two patterns at a later date, a Green Parson and a Yellow Parson, with jointed bodies and at least the Green apparently bearing little resemblance to either of the Parson branches, being that it had a mixed wing, while though the Yellow was more closely resembling the original Parson fly, neither really made it into history.

One has to actually read Newland's book however to get the full idea of what was happening between 1836 and 1851 when it was published, during which time the Parsons were being invented.
The Parson as per Newland

"Before the arrival of our fishermen, it might be said to consist of two distinct genera, the Butterfly and the Mixed wing, each containing several species: but, some two or three years before the date of these conversations the fishermen had added to these a third genus of fly, differing in every particular from the other two; and this, from its inventor, was generally known by the name of  "the Parson."


 We will discuss the Mixed wings and the Butterflies in a separate section, and at that point it will be needful to keep the Parsons in mind as we do.  Returning to Newland and the Erne again though;


         Kill-Many as per Newland

"The Parson genus is much longer, slimmer, and more elegant. This class is known by their bright yellow wings, which are formed from six or eight toppings of the golden pheasant. In the original fly, which still bears the name of " the Parson," tail, tip, body, and hackle, are all yellow, as well as the wings, and the tinsel is gold; it is hackled over the wings with blue jay, or else fitted with wing- coverts from the kingfisher, with a black ostrich head.
This genus has three varieties, Kill-many, Kill-more, and Jack-the-Giant-Killer. The first differs from the Parson in having a claret body and hackle; the second retains the yellow body, though it is generally of a deeper shade, but has a bright crimson under-wing, and a strong splash of the same colour in the coverts; while Jack-the-Giant-Killer has a green body and hackle, with crimson or green coverts.        

Jack-the Giant-Killer as per Newland

The whole tribe are homed with yellow maccaw(sic), except the last species, which is red. The Parson flies are best adapted for stained water, as being better calculated to attract the notice of the fish; Jack is intended for sunshine;
Kill-many and Kill-more for dull weather.
The whole of this tribe of flies is expensive, and that is their principal draw-back; but the material of which they are almost entirely composed, the crest of the golden pheasant, is rare and difficult to procure.

       The Kill-More as per Newland

A cheap substitute for this class of flies may be thus made: yellow parrot-tail, yellow silk body, with a very full yellow hackle, mallard wings, with two small yellow hackles tied in with them, and hanging loose over
the back, maccaw(sic) horns."



Newland wrote his descriptions in 1851, but in 1847 Thomas Tod Stoddart published a book entitled “The Anglers Companion to the Rivers and Lochs of Scotland,” William Blackwood and Sons, Edinburgh and London, and there-in, on page 242 is a table labeled  Salmon Flies, Irish Style and Pattern and in this table we find a pattern for the Parson. In its main details, it is very similar to the above as you will see.  It goes as follows:


Wings:  a bright yellow hook, wings formed of golden pheasant crests, with slips of the blue and buff macaw
Body:  yellow floss silk,  gold twist
Tail:  golden pheasant crest feather below ostrich herl
Comments: Most of these flies are favourites in the rivers Ness, Beauley and Shin

And there you have it, a version with no hackle, no jay shoulder or herl head, and with a herl butt, but otherwise a stripped down early Parson.  There is no mention of if the wings are tied inverted or not, but the suggestion is that they would be inverted, as the wing is described as a hook.  There is no evidence that I have found so far to suggest that this primitive Parson predates the 1836 Rogan version, and indeed I think this pattern, favourite or not, was perhaps meant as just a quickie version to fish and be done with. 

Michael Rogan’s father James Rogan apparently also invented a Parson fly, with a topping wing, though Frodin does not give a date.  This topping winged Parson is dressed as follows:
Tag: gold twist and yellow floss silk
Tail: two golden pheasant toppings
Body: yellow silk floss
Ribs: medium gold twist
Hackle: a light yellow cocks hackle
Wing: approximately fifteen golden pheasant toppings with red tips, tied concave side up.
Throat: two collar tied Jay feathers tied in before the wing
Head: black ostrich and black silk

If the astute reader will notice though, this is just the same pattern as the original Parson in Newland, sans sides and with the feathering doubled; two toppings in the tail, two jay in the collar and twice as many toppings in the wing.  

Another author to delve into the Parson complex is E. J. Malone.  He lists several Parson patterns and variations there-of in his book “Irish Trout and Salmon Flies,” Colin Smythe Ltd. 1984, and notes some very interesting historical notes as well.  He lists no less then three versions of the Green Parson, with one of them being Micheal Rogan's own dressing, and all of them mixed wings by the way.

He lists two versions of the Parson, both of which are topping wing flies, and three variations from Newland (see above), also topping winged flies.  None of these are mentioned as having the wings inverted.
 The Parson (1) as per E. J. Malone
Tag: silver twist and ruby floss
Tail: topping, Indian crow and chatterer
Body: golden olive pigs wool, with fiery brown pigs wool at the shoulder
Rib: gold and silver twist
Body hackle: pale yellow cock
Shoulder hackle: dark claret cock
Wings: cock-of-the-rock covered by five or six toppings
Horns: blue and yellow macaw
Sides: chatterer
  



 The Parson (2) as per E. J. Malone

Tag: yellow floss
Tail:golden pheasant crest
Body:yellow floss
Rib: gold tinsel
Hackle: blue jay over wings

Wings: six or eight toppings
Sides: kingfisher
Head: black ostrich
 


The reader will note that this is a pattern I have already presented above, but as Malone did not specify, and at the time I did not know how the wing should be tied, it is tied as usual, something I note also to be the case in the illustration to be found in Eric Taverner's book "Fly Tying for Salmon."  Seeley Service & Co.,  London, England, 1942

There is also a Yellow Parson, noted as a “present day dressing by Micheal Rogan” and it too is a topping winged fly. It is presented here as I believe it should look.  Of course, the wing may actually be inverted, but as this is supposed to be a modern pattern, I chose to tie it this way.

 The Yellow Parson as per E. J. Malone
Tag: oval silver and red floss
Tail: topping and paired jungle cock
Butt: black ostrich
Body: rear 1/3 yellow floss, front 2/3 green peacock sword herl
Rib: oval silver
Shoulder hackle: Yellow cock
Throat: long golden pheasant topping lying back to cover the hook point
Wings: golden pheasant toppings
Sides:  jungle cock


It is Malone’s assertion that it was in 1836 that Micheal Rogan created the Parson for the Erne, and it was a topping winged fly.  He does not mention in text the Pat McKay Parson, which Frodin has as being created in 1836.

Personally in this case I believe it was Pat McKay, in 1836 because he is listed also by Frodin as creating the Golden Butterfly, a fly very similar to the topping winged Parson, in 1810.  Frodin writes that this fly became the forerunner of the Parson flies, and the Rangers, Green Highlander and the Doctor series, though personally I do not see how as none of the Rangers, Highlanders or Doctors are topping winged flies.  If by this he means that being an early “gaudy fly” it paved the way to acceptance of the rest, then yes, I can agree with this, but otherwise, in terms of fly development, I think not.  Newland also states quite clearly that it was Pat McKay in 1836, who if he didn't invent the fly, took elements of many Parson flies fished at the time and amalgamated them into a standard fly.  

This is still preliminary work, with the photos to be replaced as better ones are taken, and the notes to be updated as new information is discovered.

The Black Dog Mystery

The Black Dog Mystery

November 29, 2009 by atlanticsalmonflyguy | Edit

In 1821*, Alexander Mackintosh wrote the first known description of the fly known as the Black  Dog in his book “The Driffield Angler."  Used on the Tay, for Atlantic Salmon, it was popular and successful.  His pattern is as follows:
“The hook, no. 1, and the shank near 3 inches long; the wings, the bluish feather from the herons wing intermixed with the spotted reddish  one from the turkeys tail; feathers for the body, lead coloured hog’s soft wool from under the  ear, small gold twist, a large black cocks hackle; the head a little dark green mohair and dark green silk. “

He proceeds to describe  the making of this fly, which really is not too difficult to follow.  The interesting bit however that bothered me at the time, but I did it anyway, is he describes running the twist between and around the wings “three or four times… making it appear as much as possible about the head.”  He then covers this with the mohair.  Interesting and once done, it serves to insure that the two wings never will fold together again except under extreme pressure.

The fly you see on the left is the Mackintosh version true to the pattern in all respects.  The hackle is tied in full and facing backwards to present a sleek but bushy profile.  I married, strand for strand the two wing components, though I am certain that this was not done in the original.  I suspect that either one or the other was tied in as shown, with the second either as strands under or over, or both were tied in as mixed strands and separated into two bunches with the twist.   I thought that this would be a much nicer look though, despite it taking more time to marry the wings then it did to do the rest of the fly, including mounting the wings.

*An interesting note on this flies history:  Eric Taverner, in "Fly Tying for Salmon," 1942, pg. 11,  writes that the Driffield Angler was "issued" in 1808, and also states, "Mackintosh says, 'I caught one when angling with the fly at Castle-Menzies in the year 1765, that weighed fifty-four pounds and a half.' He mentioned this fact to call attention to the weight of the fish, not to emphasize the use of a fly which must have been an ordinary lure at the time."  The fly both of them are referring to is the original Black Dog, a pattern Taverner gives as identical to the one already given by Mackintosh and quoted directly from the 1821 copyrighted edition I have the PDF scan of.  I have done intra-document searches for every single word in the above Mackintosh quote, and can find no such quote in my version. 

In 1847 Thomas Tod Stoddart published a book entitled “The Anglers Companion to the Rivers and Lochs of Scotland,”  William Blackwood and Sons, Edinburgh and London, wrote the second description of the Black Dog that I was able to find.  On page 240, in a table labeled "Flies for the Awe and Urchay Rivers - Mr. Lascelle's flies, he lists the following pattern, under a subheading Flies for the Urchay:

Wings of blue heron and red turkey
Body: Lead coloured mohair ribbed with gold lace, large black hackle
Shouldering: dark green mohair
Observations: divide the wing with the gold twist and make it appear about the head. 

This is basically the same pattern as above with the slight alteration in body material, changed from pigs wool to mohair.  The only question remaining is: Who is Mr. Lascelles? 

Francis Francis, in 1867 wrote in his book “A Book on Angling” the next description, and in it we can see the changes the fly had undergone over time.  In the picture below, you can see how the body has become black and extra ribs have been added.  The wings have changed to a predominantly grey tone, and the green mohair head is gone, as are the gold tinsel wraps around the head.  The pattern, from page 363 of the Classics of Salmon Fishing edition is as follows:

“The Black Dog- Tail, a tuft of olive-yellow pig’s wool; body, black mohair; gold and silver tinsel with orange silk between; two or three black hackles; gallina at the shoulder; wing, grey speckled turkey, two long slips.  The hook is 3 1/2 inches long and 7/8 of an inch wide, and the succeeding flies rundown to  2 inches or even smaller.”
Again the fly is tied as per the materials listed, though I only needed one good long hackle instead of the two or three shorter ones.  I used an oily green-tinted natural black one for a nice effect.


I mentioned the edition I used as there are other editions of this work.  I have on cd a pdf scan of a
different edition, published in 1920, edited by and with a lengthy forward by Sir Herbert Maxwell, where, though the pattern listed is identical to the above, there is a lovely colour plate of a fly labeled The Black Dog that looks nothing like the described pattern, but instead resembles nothing less than  a stripped down version from the next person to take up this pattern, George M. Kelson.  The pattern in the illustration can best be described as follows:
Tag: silver tinsel, yellow floss
Tail: topping and red fibres, probably scarlet ibis
Butt: black herl
Body: black silk
Ribbing: gold and silver tinsel, yellow floss between
Hackle:  none
Throat: black heron long, to the point or longer
Wing: two red-orange (or claret?) hackles back to back, enveloped by two long jungle cock, golden pheasant tail over this, possibly peacock herl, teal  and a topping over.
Sides: Jungle cock

The hook is quite long, as expected.  The illustration  provided above is scanned directly from the PDF scan of the original book.  The photo below is my interpretation of the image. 
I have repeatedly combed both editions for the actual written mention of this version, with no success.  The question remains, How did this fly, obviously a more modern version,  get into a book published in 1865?  I suspect that what happened is that during the process of editing the 1920 version, Maxwell decided he needed new plates for the flies.  Choosing popular flies, he commissioned the plates, but did not cross-reference the fly with the pattern in the book.  As he did not actually write the book, he may have been unaware that the pattern and the plate did not correspond with each other.  Francis Francis was dead by this time and could not tell him either.  I will have to check and see if some of the other flies illustrated show similar pattern shifting.  If this is the case though, then the version Maxwell chose was not his or Kelson’s, but the fly of the day as it were.  Compare it with Kelson’s or Maxwell’s and see how it has been simplified.

George M. Kelson, in 1895 or 6, published his book "The Salmon Fly" and in it is a pattern he describes as ” An old standard of my father’s, and a useful high water fly – very good on the Spey, Wye, etc.”

The pattern, much like the above only more so is as follows:
Tag: silver tinsel, canary floss
Tail: topping and scarlet ibis
Butt: black herl
Body: black silk
Ribbing: Yellow silk, and oval silver tinsel running on each side of it.
Hackle:  Black heron from the third yellow rib
Wing: two red-orange hackles back to back, enveloped by two long jungle cock, unbarred summer duck, light bustard, Amherst pheasant tail, swan dyed scarlet and yellow, and two toppings.

This is the pattern most people know and tie today.  I have done the wing in the style Kelson personified, ie strand for strand marrying of each of the sections, repeating at least three times. 

Next to describe the Black Dog was Sir Herbert Maxwell in his book “Salmon and Sea Trout,"  1898.  He writes of the Black Dog: “This is the modern version of a very old Tay pattern.  Black used to be the prevailing tone, but gay colours have been added to keep it abreast of the fashion.  It is used as a large Spring pattern, 20-17.”  I have a first edition that lists the pattern as follows:

Tag: silver tinsel
Tail: a topping or tuft of orange mohair
Butt: black chenille
Body: black floss, ribbed with ruby floss, on one side of which is broad silver tinsel, on the other gold twist.
Hackle: black cock’s over the body, at the shoulder a long-fibred heron hackle dyed crimson
Wing: two tippets, then mixed gold pheasant tail, bustard, strips of crimson, yellow and orange dyed swan, peacock herl, a slice of wood duck, large topping over, red macaw horns.
Head: black chenille

This is clearly not the fly in the 1920’s version of Francis Francis either, but is a lovely fly none-the-less.  It obviously did not resonate as well as the Kelson version with the fishing public though, since it is not the pattern most folk know today.

Another author who described the Black Dog was Capt. John Henry Hale in his “How to Tie Salmon Flies” 1892.  His version, attributed to Mr. Malloch is as follows:

Tag:  Silver twist and yellow floss
Tail: Topping and a few fibres of scarlet ibis
Butt: Black ostrich herl
Body: Black floss ribbed with gold and silver oval tinsel; orange floss between the two tinsels.
Hackle: Black heron at the shoulder only
Wings: Mixed- bronze peacock herl, silver-grey turkey, bustard, pintail, teal, summer duck,  mallard, swan, dyed red yellow and blue, topping over.
Cheeks: Jungle cock
Horns: Blue macaw
Head: Black
 

The only other old author I could find who listed the Black Dog is  John James Hardy in his book “Salmon Fishing” from 1897.  The pattern he describes is identical to Kelson’s pattern, as are a lot of the flies in his book.  In this rendition of the pattern, I tied it as Hardy might have, rather then as Kelson would have.  The wings are done in single strips rather then in married strands, what I refer to as Kelsonized.

There is one other pattern that has been published that I am aware of, and as far as I can tell incorrectly attributed to Francis Francis by Mikael Frodin in his marvelous work “Classic Salmon Flies, History and Patterns” from 1991, Stoeger Publishing Co.   In his account of the Black Dog he describes the actual Francis Francis version accurately, then goes on to talk about a second version, “more like the one Kelson provides.”  It is as follows:

Tag: silver tinsel
Tail: a topping
Butt: black ostrich herl
Body: black floss
Ribs: silver and gold tinsel and red silk, side by side.
Hackle: black all the way up
Shoulder: a very long fibred heron’s hackle dyed blue
Wings: a mixed wing, the underwing a tippet feather with slices of wood duck over, the overwing mixed fibres of golden pheasant tail, bustard, claret, yellow and orange swan, speckled peacock and some peacock herls, blue and yellow macaw and a topping over all.
Head: black

This lovely fly is much more like Maxwell’s version in my opinion, then like Kelson’s.   It does not resemble the written Francis Francis pattern in the least however in either of the two editions I have examined, and only marginally resembles the illustrated version in the 1920 edition of the same author.   I have been unable to discover the correct author of this pattern,  and emails to Mikael Frodin have gone unanswered.

Since the writing of this, I have stumbled on yet another old Black Dog.  In "Salmon Fishing," by William E. Hodgeson, 1920, is a lovely set of colour plates, showing a variety of salmon flies popular at the time.  Amongst that lot is a lovely Black Dog that is clearly not like any of the above, including the elusive Frodin pattern.  Sadly however, this pattern is not shown in enough clear detail for me to accurately decipher it's make-up and tie a copy of it.  What I can make out is that it has a yellow rib, bordered by oval silver tinsel.  It has jungle cock and barred wood duck cheeks, as well as jungle cock in the under-wing.  There appears to be peacock herl in the wing, as well as a lot of golden pheasant tail, with a distinct strip of yellow and possibly claret or red and something barred/speckled probably turkey or bustard.  Hackle is at the shoulder only.  Topping and tail appear standard, with red ibis in the tail and one single topping over.  No horns are visible.  Tag/tip is silver and yellow silk.   This pattern is not described in text at all, and I have seen no accounts of this version elsewhere.  It is yet another mystery in this puzzle, to be pieced together and tied eventually. 

Currently this is the extent of the research results for the Black Dog.  I welcome any additional information on this fly, especially if it is verifiable information on the origin of the “second Francis Francis” pattern and the actual pattern and attribution for the one in the plate in the 1920’s edition of Francis Francis “A Book on Angling.”