John, Please ... oh PLEASE ... if you have a copy, post a photo of Austin's Tup's dubbing mixture given to Skues and in the Flyfishers' Club collection. Bob, what do you know about the above photo? Where did you get it, and do you know anything about its authenticity? I've had a copy of that photo f...

Has anyone concluded that a dyed color of pheasant tail feathers works *better* than the natural color? I suspect many dyed colors work as well, but not necessarily better. As we all know, day-to-day or even hour-to-hour fishing results are variable, and establishing whether one color is better than...

Well, the Tup's Indispensable is one of those flies that has captured the imagination of generations of fly tying aficionados, although some might say fly tying perverts. The dubbing blend of its originator, Mr. R.S. Austin, was a closely guarded secret for decades. Austin and his family tied and so...

Phila...I've read all your research into locating a Chadwicks substitute...I'm fascinated by the killer bug and watched video of it being fished in England. From what I can tell, it is supposed to imitate a scud, or caddis larva. What's your opinion and is the Peruvian substitute easily obtainable....

What hooks are you using? For the sake of fidelity do you have any idea of what mr Saywer used? Thanks again Bazza Barry, Sawyer says nothing in Nymphs and the Trout about the hook other than its size. The first edition states "No. 2 or 3 hook" (modern #13 or #12) for his "grayling l...

Bazza, Yes, a single ply of yarn thinly covers an underbody of wire in two layers. Beginning near the thorax, I first sculpt an underbody of wire in the desired shape of the final fly, ending behind the thorax. Next, I lash a single ply of yarn working rearward, untwisting but not wrapping the yarn ...

The photos below demonstrate Sawyer's translucency and the effect of red wire showing through overlying wool. The first pair of photos are wet and dry versions of a Killer Bug tied with genuine Chadwick's 477. The second pair of photos are wet/dry versions of a Killer Bug tied with my favorite Chadw...

As long as we are on this subject and we all know not all mayfly nymphs are the same color has anyone tried tying the PT nymphs with dyed pheasant tails?I am looking forward to tying and testing some other PT nymph colors for fun. John Ghillie John, Yes I have! Soft-hackled Pheasant Tails tied with...

hankaye wrote: ↑Mon Dec 10, 2018 10:59 pm Don't forget that British Pennies were a different "colour" when new then our pennies.
Here's some from 1950. hank

Hank,
Ha! I lived in England for three years but forgot about the color of the penny. I edited the post to say American penny. Thanks for the reminder --Phil

Ahhh ... copper wire for Sawyer Pheasant Tails and Killer Bugs has been a continuing pastime – some would say obsession – of mine for more years than I care to confess. This is but a part of my stash of Sawyer-inspired wire... https://i.imgur.com/95YBaNP.jpg Sawyer described his copper wires in Nymp...