How the traditional, two-material simple wet flies bring about a special fly-tying experience

By Magnus Angus

A selection box of fine silk threads arrived on my desk from Italy which had me opening my older books: John Reid, Pritt, Stewart….

Tying a fly with coloured thread and one feather, two feathers if it has wings, North Country Spiders and Clyde-style flies – simple, minimal flies.

Tying these flies again is so refreshing. Elegant flies, designed to be tied quickly and used without fear of loss. When these older flies were being tied and tested the materials, threads, wing coverts and body hackles, were freely available. Just sewing thread and a few locally sourced feathers.

No tails, shucks, legs, nothing glows or fluoresces. I want to say no plastics but modern thread is OK in small amounts. In truth, some of the older materials have become a little more exotic; many of those bird feathers used are now protected, even the starling which was a source of fine feathers and substitutes for those which were harder to find is now off the menu in the UK. It’s still sold in the US, where it’s an invasive species.

Tying a fly using one feather and a length of coloured silk brings a Zen-like calm! The turns of touching thread, then turns of hackle. When the thread lies just so, and the hackle barbs fall into place without manhandling, and then the whip-finish seems to click down to make a tiny head. So satisfying!