North Country spider article

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wsbailey
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Re: North Country spider article

Post by wsbailey » Wed Feb 19, 2020 9:58 pm

I used the British spelling because I used the word in the British context.

https://www.bcsba.org.uk/coloured-sheep ... red-sheep/

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wsbailey
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Re: North Country spider article

Post by wsbailey » Thu Feb 20, 2020 10:50 am

So where could a fly tyer of the Middle Ages have found his wool. Probably lots of places but in "A World of Insects" we learn that the word caddisfly comes from: "caddice men of the middle ages - itinerant salesmen that attached the pieces of yarn, cloth, and ribbons that they sold to their coats. This resulted in a walking catalogue of their wares".
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Re: North Country spider article

Post by daringduffer » Fri Feb 21, 2020 6:49 am

wsbailey wrote: Thu Feb 20, 2020 10:50 am So where could a fly tyer of the Middle Ages have found his wool. Probably lots of places but in "A World of Insects" we learn that the word caddisfly comes from: "caddice men of the middle ages - itinerant salesmen that attached the pieces of yarn, cloth, and ribbons that they sold to their coats. This resulted in a walking catalogue of their wares".
Clever suggestion.

dd
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Re: North Country spider article

Post by jcwillow777 » Sun Feb 23, 2020 7:50 pm

Just came across this thread yesterday. This has been one of the most informative threads I've read in a little while. BTW, I bought "The History of Fly Fishing," which came out November of 2019, as a Christmas gift to myself. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. Looking to get Volume 2 in the near future, as well as "Fishing for the North Country" when it becomes available.

Keep this going, I am relatively new to spiders and soft hackles and I am loving the discussion! John, I absolutely love the pic and comments on the monks.
Greg
wsbailey
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Re: North Country spider article

Post by wsbailey » Sun Feb 23, 2020 9:34 pm

I thought I would take a chance and show a picture of the yarn that I dyed with dyes available in the Middle Ages. They had a very limited number of dye colors. The Bayeux tapestry used eight colors.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bayeux_Tapestry
IMG_0994.JPG
IMG_0994.JPG (108.2 KiB) Viewed 2947 times
Last edited by wsbailey on Tue Feb 25, 2020 7:59 am, edited 3 times in total.
Variant
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Re: North Country spider article

Post by Variant » Sun Feb 23, 2020 9:54 pm

Beautiful, well done!
Thanks for bringing back the past.
Lou
In sport,method is everything.The more the skill the method calls for,the higher it’s yield of emotional stir and satisfaction,the higher it’s place must be in a sportsman’s scale of values. RODERICK HAIG-BROWN
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Re: North Country spider article

Post by letumgo » Sun Feb 23, 2020 11:03 pm

Bill - I have a stupid question. What time period are your Berlin will yarns from. I have a full set of your dyed yarns. (Superb btw)

I find the historic colors fascinating. You’ve done a great preserving the past.

How long have you been dying other materials (feathers/quills/etc)?
Ray (letumgo)----<°))))))><
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wsbailey
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Re: North Country spider article

Post by wsbailey » Sun Feb 23, 2020 11:20 pm

Ray,
There no dumb questions: only dumb answers. The main purpose for the Berlin wool is to tie Spey flies. Around 1840 ; Berlin wool work became a big fad and that was the same era as Spey flies. Synthetic dyes weren't discovered until 1856 so originally, Berlin wool yarn was dyed with natural dyes. At the time the Treatyse was printed the new world had just been discovered so the great influx of new dyes from there hadn't quite got started. Most of the dyes used in the late 15th century had been around since the days of Greece and Rome. I've been dyeing fly tying materials for about 25 years but I'm just getting started with feathers, etc.
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Re: North Country spider article

Post by letumgo » Sun Feb 23, 2020 11:44 pm

Thanks Bill. I was tying some flies with your Berlin well earlier this weekend. I think it was my interest in Spey flies, which lead me to your Berlin yarn. Then my interest in various waxes (tying, cobblers wax, liquid wax, etc) once again lead me to your efforts & materials. Wonderful materials. ;)
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wsbailey
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Re: North Country spider article

Post by wsbailey » Mon Feb 24, 2020 12:02 am

In Alfred Ronalds' "The Fly-Fisher's Entomology" he speaks of using German wool in some of his fly patterns. I'm fairly certain that he was referring to Berlin wool.
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