Baby Sunfly Softy

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tie2fish
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Baby Sunfly Softy

Post by tie2fish » Sat Nov 10, 2018 10:25 am

In a response to Bill Bailey’s post about an English rabbit skin, member daringduffer suggested that someone might make a flymph out the “Baby Sunfly” pattern. I glossed over this at the time, as I had no idea what the “Baby Sunfly” is or how it is related to an English rabbit.

During a later PM, however, he brought up this subject again and I decided I really ought to find out what the connection is and perhaps even pursue the challenge of tying the originally dry fly pattern a la Leisenring/Hidy. Information on the internet about this fly is relatively sparse, but I was able to piece together enough details to get a fair idea of what it consists of – enough even to attempt to tie it as a flymph.

An English clergyman, Rev. Edward Powell, fished streams in the Shropshire region in the Welsh borderlands on a regular basis during the 1920’s – 1950’s. He is credited by author Christopher Knowles (in his book Orange Otter) and others with developing as many as 26 fly patterns that were especially killing on these waters. One of the patterns he named the “Baby Sunfly” as it was a smaller, slightly modified version of a D. Lewis fly called “Sunfly”. It was strictly a generic pattern, as Powell was convinced that fish mostly wanted black and brown flies.

The rabbit connection comes from the fact that the fur used for the body of the fly was/is the quite dark underfur found on the face of the English rabbit (not the better-known-to-tiers "hare", which is a different critter). The dry fly recipe is as follows:

Hook: Sizes 12 – 18
Thread: Brown or black
Tail: Black or coch-y-bondhu cock hackle barbs
Body: Dubbed rabbit face, from triangle of nose & eyes, very dark, tied full
Rib: Brown thread, 3 turns
Hackle: Black or coch-y-bondhu cock hackle, as many turns as possible

I tied the below on a vintage Herter’s 423 TDE hook, Size #14 using Pearsall’s Gossamer #17 brown thread. The collar hackle and tails whisks were taken from a nearly iridescent black feather found at the back of a coch-y-bondhu hen saddle. Since I do not own an English rabbit mask, the body is a blend of hare’s poll and black wool spun in #17 Gossamer on a Clark block.

Baby Sunfly Softy.JPG
Baby Sunfly Softy.JPG (39.78 KiB) Viewed 3108 times
Last edited by tie2fish on Sat Nov 10, 2018 5:33 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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hankaye
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Re: Baby Sunfly Softy

Post by hankaye » Sat Nov 10, 2018 10:55 am

tie2fish, Howdy;

Mr. Bill, your efforts to assemble something from not so much is masterful.
Great looking interpretation to 'morph' from dry to Flymph. Well done Sir!

hank
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daringduffer
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Re: Baby Sunfly Softy

Post by daringduffer » Sat Nov 10, 2018 1:30 pm

I knew you wouldn't let me down, Bill. Since the fly is supposed to represent a black gnat, or Bibio johannis, a dark fly seems appropriate. Dark and beautiful. It is said to be a generic fly, most successful early season.

Thank you very much mr Shuck.

dd

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joaniebo
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Re: Baby Sunfly Softy

Post by joaniebo » Sat Nov 10, 2018 2:25 pm

Several years ago, a friend in Europe sent me a copy of the Orange Otter book and I've read through it a few times. I got really enthused about the Rev. Powell's dressings and tied a few using the dressings in the OO book and also in a Mock's Morgan book on Welsh flies since some of Rev. Powell's dressings are supposedly adaptations of some other Welsh dressings.
Attachments
Powell's Paragons.jpg
Powell's Paragons.jpg (212.65 KiB) Viewed 3091 times
Powell's Landrail & Rabbit.jpg
Powell's Landrail & Rabbit.jpg (87.07 KiB) Viewed 3091 times
Powell's Gravel Beds.jpg
Powell's Gravel Beds.jpg (113.11 KiB) Viewed 3091 times
joaniebo
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Re: Baby Sunfly Softy

Post by joaniebo » Sat Nov 10, 2018 2:27 pm

and a few more of my attempts at the. Rev. Powell's dressings
Attachments
Powells Baby Sunfly & Variations.jpg
Powells Baby Sunfly & Variations.jpg (193.73 KiB) Viewed 3091 times
Powell's Squashed Beetle.jpg
Powell's Squashed Beetle.jpg (123.68 KiB) Viewed 3091 times
Powell's Orange Otters.jpg
Powell's Orange Otters.jpg (194.32 KiB) Viewed 3091 times
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tie2fish
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Re: Baby Sunfly Softy

Post by tie2fish » Sat Nov 10, 2018 3:12 pm

Nicely done, Bob.
Some of the same morons who throw their trash around in National parks also vote. That alone would explain the state of American politics. ~ John Gierach, "Still Life with Brook Trout"
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Old Hat
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Re: Baby Sunfly Softy

Post by Old Hat » Sat Nov 10, 2018 3:37 pm

Great tying everyone. Very cool patterns with a distinct personality.
I hate it when I think I'm buying organic vegetables, and when I get home I discover they are just regular donuts.
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joaniebo
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Re: Baby Sunfly Softy

Post by joaniebo » Sat Nov 10, 2018 3:59 pm

"The Orange Otter" is a very good book and has a lot of information on the Rev. Powell and his colleagues of that time.
daringduffer
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Re: Baby Sunfly Softy

Post by daringduffer » Sat Nov 10, 2018 5:24 pm

The Powell fly patterns are very interesting too, mostly developed / borrowed from flies devised by Dai Lewis of Tregaraon who was something of a mentor for Powell.
Here you can find Dai Lewis mentioned by the late Moc Morgan: https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/loca ... go-1924404

dd
daringduffer
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Re: Baby Sunfly Softy

Post by daringduffer » Sun Nov 11, 2018 7:03 am

Bill, I have to comment further on your creation. As a generic dark fly it is more than nice, typical qualitye. If you want it to represent a bibio it could benefit from a couple of intermixed turns of hackle from the poultry bred in the village of Furness, Lancashire.

(Disclaimer; I don't know how bibio float or not when they fall on the water. Since the original fly is tied as a dry fly it probably floats, but for how long, and then what?).

dd

Edit. Another disclaimer; There might be a Furness village in Lancashire as suggested by Preben Torp Jacobson, but Furness is also a much bigger area as can be found out on Wikipedia. Probably the fighting cocks stemmed from that area. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Furness
If you want more about furness, search that term on this forum.
Last edited by daringduffer on Sun Nov 11, 2018 7:42 am, edited 1 time in total.
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