Search found 226 matches

by Greenwell
Mon Dec 22, 2014 6:27 pm
Forum: Fly Dressings - Wingless Wets
Topic: Yorkshire Spider (John Shaner's Collection)
Replies: 101
Views: 241847

Re: Yorkshire Spider (John Shaner's Collection)

The old hook packages certainly are interesting. All are full of hooks, which even though they are well over 100 years old, are as good as the day they left the factory. I'll see if I can get a decent photo of them sometime. If the disheveled little fly could talk I'd bet it would have some stories ...
by Greenwell
Thu Dec 18, 2014 10:04 pm
Forum: Fly Dressings - Wingless Wets
Topic: Yorkshire Spider (John Shaner's Collection)
Replies: 101
Views: 241847

Re: Yorkshire Spider (John Shaner's Collection)

Ray, The hooks are Harrison and Bartleet or W. Bartleet & Sons "Kendall Sneck Bent". The offset was a very common feature of fly hooks, especially English hooks, until quite recently. Most smaller fly hooks were either "Kirbed", bent to the left, or "Reversed", bent...
by Greenwell
Tue Dec 16, 2014 1:21 pm
Forum: Fly Dressings - Wingless Wets
Topic: Quill Gordon Soft Hackle
Replies: 12
Views: 7436

Re: Quill Gordon Soft Hackle

Peacock quill is a favorite body material and not just for the classic Quill Gordon fly. It's been around for quite a long time and it's use goes back at least to the latter part of the 19th century. Frederick Halford in "Floating Flies and how to Dress Them", 1886, discusses the material ...
by Greenwell
Sun Dec 14, 2014 6:07 pm
Forum: Fly Dressings - Wingless Wets
Topic: Yorkshire Spider (John Shaner's Collection)
Replies: 101
Views: 241847

Re: Yorkshire Spider (John Shaner's Collection)

I really like this particular fly, it appears to be a Snipe & Purple with the addition of a bit of peacock at the head, again, a fairly common design element at the time. In the photo of the flies compared to the dime, it's at 3 O'clock so that will give you size perspective. The wire reinforcem...
by Greenwell
Fri Dec 12, 2014 9:50 am
Forum: Fly Dressings - Wingless Wets
Topic: Yorkshire Spider (John Shaner's Collection)
Replies: 101
Views: 241847

Re: Yorkshire Spider (John Shaner's Collection)

"I'd like to know more about the tyer. I can't help but noticing the middle name of "Walbran". Was he related somehow to F.M. Walbran? Was he from the Wharfedale or some other part of Yorkshire?" I'll be posting a bit more on Mr. Cooper as we go along. There will be a brief biogr...
by Greenwell
Fri Dec 12, 2014 9:19 am
Forum: Fly Dressings - Wingless Wets
Topic: Yorkshire Spider (John Shaner's Collection)
Replies: 101
Views: 241847

Re: Yorkshire Spider (John Shaner's Collection)

"If a new tyer posted this fly and asked for candid critique, what would you say?" What a great question! And not all that easy to answer.............but in my opinion this is a beautifully dressed fly and if a beginner showed it to me I'd say he had the makings of an expert. Viewed critic...
by Greenwell
Thu Dec 11, 2014 6:57 pm
Forum: Fly Dressings - Wingless Wets
Topic: Yorkshire Spider (John Shaner's Collection)
Replies: 101
Views: 241847

Re: Yorkshire Spider (John Shaner's Collection)

When I put on my Spider Program, the most asked question is about hackle length. A good fly tier strives for consistency in their finished product so over the years any number of formulas have been put forward to help achieve that goal. There's only one problem and that's related to the hook. It was...
by Greenwell
Thu Dec 11, 2014 1:41 pm
Forum: Tying Wingless Wets
Topic: Wasatch Woodtrimmed Bobbin
Replies: 12
Views: 9427

Re: Wasatch Woodtrimmed Bobbin

Badger Creek and Great Feathers also carry them along with lots of other Spider materials.
by Greenwell
Wed Dec 10, 2014 12:15 am
Forum: Fly Dressings - Wingless Wets
Topic: Yorkshire Spider (John Shaner's Collection)
Replies: 101
Views: 241847

Re: Yorkshire Spider (John Shaner's Collection)

Ray and I thought it would be interesting to post photos of some original Yorkshire Spiders so the Forum members could see what these flies really looked like. The flies you'll be seeing all came from the fly wallet of Henry Walbran Cooper (1843 - 1913). Mr. Cooper, a Yorkshireman and contemporary o...
by Greenwell
Wed Dec 03, 2014 10:49 pm
Forum: Tying Wingless Wets
Topic: Alpaca!
Replies: 25
Views: 19127

Re: Alpaca!

How much of this stuff do you want? My sister raises the damn things and she can't give the wool away. Right now she's engaged in a project that rescues stray cats and she's using it to stuff pillows for the feral felines. If you find you like the way it dubbs, let me know and I'll get you a few ton...