Fully dressed flies
Fully dressed flies are elaborate and colorful artificial flies used in fly fishing. The most famous of these are the classic salmon flies, which are exquisite patterns made from mostly rare and beautiful materials and feathers, including golden pheasants, toucans, swans, and ivory-billed woodpeckers. These flies have been popular in the United Kingdom since the 19th century. Fully dressed flies are often meant for display and are not used in actual fishing. Many patterns are expensive to tie because of the cost of rare feathers.
Parts
Parts of a fully dressed fly, as listed in Kelson's 1895 book, are shown below.| Key to Parts of Salmon Fly Image |
- A. Gut loop
- B.Tag, Here in two sections, silver twist followed by floss silk, a small portion tied on the bend before the tail C. C. Tail, of a topping and usually of a crow feathers D1, D2, D3. Butts Between D1 and D3 lies the body divided in this type of fly into two sections by D2, each section having 5 ribs of tinsel; D3 is here preceded by by Toucan feathers above and below.
- E. Hackle, here distinguished as "Upper section hackle". When wound over the whole length of the fly it is termed "Body Hackle".
- E2. Throat Hackle, usually written "throat"
- F. Under wing. Here of "White tipped turkey"
- G. Over Wing, in most flies capped with a "topping" either separate feathers or married feathers. Usually the color complements the body and presents a theme.
- HH. Horns
- J. Sides
- K. Cheeks
- L. Head
- 1. A line showing the proper length of the tail and wing beyond the hook-bend
- 2. Indicates the place of the first coil of the tag relatively to the hook-barb, the best barb supplying the best guide to the eye in initial operation of tying on the "tag" material.
- 3. Indicates place on the hook-shank, at which ends of the gut loop should terminate, leaving the gap, for adjustment