Midnight Soft Hackle

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Roadkill
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Midnight Soft Hackle

Post by Roadkill » Mon Jan 17, 2022 2:18 pm

Hook-Wholesale Fly Company Model 28 #16
Thread-UTC 70 Black
Body-Black Burch & Company Fur Dubbing from the 1950's blended with Starfire Trilobal Nylon
Bead- #15 Silver Lined Clear Glass
Hackle-Starling

ImageRIMG2450 by William Lovelace, on Flickr
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Ron Eagle Elk
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Re: Midnight Soft Hackle

Post by Ron Eagle Elk » Tue Jan 18, 2022 8:47 am

That's really nice. I'm gonna steal this one for sure.
"A man may smile and bid you hale yet curse you to the devil, but when a good dog wags his tail he is always on the level"
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letumgo
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Re: Midnight Soft Hackle

Post by letumgo » Tue Jan 18, 2022 12:38 pm

No doubt a lethal pattern. ;)

Can you tell us any more about the 1950 dubbing? Sound interesting.
Ray (letumgo)----<°))))))><
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"The world is perfect. Appreciate the details." - Dean
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Roadkill
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Re: Midnight Soft Hackle

Post by Roadkill » Tue Jan 18, 2022 6:35 pm

"Can you tell us any more about the 1950 dubbing? Sound interesting."

Ray,

In August 1959 I was given a fly tying kit for my birthday. I had attempted to tie some flies on my own after getting my first fly rod 2 years earlier.

It was very similar to this vintage kit...
ImageRIMG2455 by William Lovelace, on Flickr

and even included the same stamped out vise!

This complete kit shows the clear envelopes that the materials came packaged in and that deteriorated with sunlight and age.

My kit included the Burch Fur nondescript dubbing that I blended with Trilobal Nylon...
ImageRIMG2458 by William Lovelace, on Flickr
the label that closed the dubbing package is at the top.

About December '59, I had 2 fly tying lessons from a fly fisherman who worked with my dad. I had flyfished with Henry and his brother Lester a few times after getting my rod. My first lesson was tying a simple fuzzy nymph in various fur colors and with different tinsels. The lesson concluded with trimming furs off the hide, blending them in water in a coffee can with a drop of dish soap, and pouring them out to dry on a screen. I was sent home with a good supply of fur scraps as well. :D That is why I have this old dubbing. ;)

My next lesson was hackling a wet or dry fly and I was given a better vise by Henry. :o 8-)

In the '90s I built a dubbing dryer to sit on top of our heating boiler in the winter to simplify making my dubbing felts...
ImageIMGP0022 by William Lovelace, on Flickr

It makes a nice quart sized Ziplock dubbing container to fit into my dubbing fur supply...
ImageRIMG2460 by William Lovelace, on Flickr


Well over a decade ago I was given the NOLL Fly Tying kit by a retired doctor friend of mine, who I had known since I was about 5 years old. He taught me a thing or two about flyfishing and also gave me a plentiful supply of fur pieces later when he quit tying.

To bring this full circle, the Dr. was the person who taught Henry how to tie his own flies.
Rscconrad
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Re: Midnight Soft Hackle

Post by Rscconrad » Tue Jan 18, 2022 10:27 pm

That’s crazy and why I love this site. Too cool. I can only go back to the 80’s with my materials although some are already considered classics.
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Ron Eagle Elk
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Re: Midnight Soft Hackle

Post by Ron Eagle Elk » Wed Jan 19, 2022 8:51 am

Bill, Great bit of history info. Gotta say though, that dryer for the fur felts is ingenious and a fine bit of wood working as well.
"A man may smile and bid you hale yet curse you to the devil, but when a good dog wags his tail he is always on the level"
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Roadkill
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Re: Midnight Soft Hackle

Post by Roadkill » Wed Jan 19, 2022 1:21 pm

Ron,
I think you would enjoy some dubbing holders I made for Expo Tying as well. Any other dubbing fanatic like me should make some. ;)
ImageIMGP0383 by William Lovelace, on Flickr
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Roadkill
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Re: Midnight Soft Hackle

Post by Roadkill » Wed Jan 19, 2022 6:41 pm

Here is a Flymph version of the Midnight tied on a Dai Riki #070 Size 14 with Emperor Kimono Silk and a Starling tail.

ImageRIMG2468 by William Lovelace, on Flickr
DOUGSDEN
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Re: Midnight Soft Hackle

Post by DOUGSDEN » Wed Jan 19, 2022 8:14 pm

Bill,
That is one delicious looking soft-hackle! That deep red (wine colored?) thread used as the body base is tempting to most of the fish in my area and much appreciated by me! Any pattern with starling intertwined holds a place of high honer with me! Your tying is spot on Bill! I appreciate that too!
Doug
Fish when you can, not when you should! Anything short of this is just a disaster.
Mike62
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Re: Midnight Soft Hackle

Post by Mike62 » Wed Jan 19, 2022 8:16 pm

Roadkill wrote: Wed Jan 19, 2022 6:41 pm Here is a Flymph version of the Midnight tied on a Dai Riki #070 Size 14 with Emperor Kimono Silk and a Starling tail.

ImageRIMG2468 by William Lovelace, on Flickr
Oh, yeah. I'm loving this fly. Nicely done!
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