Fly Tying November 4, 2008
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Session Leader: Roger Harwood
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| Sawyer's Pheasant Tail Nymph |
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hook |
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Standard nymph size 14 or 16 (Mustad 3906, 3906B or 3399) |
| thread |
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Copper wire in lieu of thread - the absolutely finest you can find, preferably with a red varnish finish, as found in electrical transformers, motor windings, etc. |
| tail |
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Male pheasant tail fibres, natural or dyed (red, black, etc.) |
| abdomen |
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Male pheasant tail fibres as above, wound forward with copper wire |
| thorax |
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Copper wire |
| wing case |
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Male pheasant tail fibres |
Large grey goose quill fibres may be used as an alternate.
For variations:
1. Black or brown thread may be used instead of copper wire.
2. Dubbing (red, orange, brown, green, etc.) or peacock herl may be used for thorax instead of copper wire.
3. Use Swiss straw or similar material suitable for the wingcase, in brown or black to match the body.
4. Copper wire or similar ribbing material.
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| hook |
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Normal or long shank size 12 or 10 |
| thread |
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Black |
| weight |
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Lead foil or wire |
| body |
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Mylar tubing* in silver, gold, etc. |
| wing |
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Marabou - black, white, pink, orange |
| hackle |
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Black, hot orange |
If Mylar tubing is not available, substitute silver or gold Mylar tinsel for the body material.
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From Roger's Notes
Frank Sawyer, River Keeper on the Wiltshire Avon (1906 – 1980)
He was born, lived and died in the same small area. Born within sound of the River, left school at the age of 12 (normal then), apprenticed as a River Keeper, becoming Keeper of the Services Dry Fly Association water - 6½ miles of River.
Background note – All river fishing in England is private going back to the Norman occupation in 1066. The King owned all game - even fish and rabbits - a means of suppressing the Glorious Free Saxons.
Sawyer, whilst “uneducated” formally, was very smart and observant, keeping careful notes on his observations of insect life, also all other life on the River. River Keepers manage the River: plant waterweeds, create spawning areas, repair banks, etc. Some rivers have been thus managed for hundreds of years, keeping the riverbeds pristine and weeds cropped, etc.
Fishing followed a strict tradition. Dry fly only, in south England at least. Using a sunk fly was frowned upon, to the extent that one could be ejected from the water if caught using one.
Nymph fishing was in its infancy. Skues was publishing about surface / sub-film nymphing. Sawyer had observed trout rising, but returning at about mid level, and realized they were taking rising nymphs.
In 1940 he met Sir Grimwood Mears, a retired judge and widower, who recognized Sawyer’s talents and encouraged him to write. Mears arranged for Sawyer to meet Skues, and to meet R.L. Marston, who was editor of the Fishing Gazette, resulting in over 100 articles of Sawyer’s being published. Sir Grimwood collected all the articles and negotiated with Black’s, the publisher, to produce and print “Keeper of the Stream.”
And now a few words about Sir Grimwood Mears.
Sir Grimwood was Chief Justice of the High Court of Judicature at Allahabad. He built a reputation for his crusade against corruption. For example, he fired the entire judiciary of one circuit because there was evidence they were “on the take.” When the judges protested that the Crown had appointed them, he offered them a choice: resign or submit to criminal investigation and possible prosecution. All the judges resigned.
In 1917, Mears was appointed to the Dardanelles Commission, which was established by the British government in the wake of the failed Dardanelles and Gallipoli expeditions of 1915. The Commission’s report concluded that the campaign - chiefly spearheaded by then First Lord of the Admiralty Winston Churchill and led by Sir Ian Hamilton - had been ill-planned and poorly executed. There are references to Sir Grimwood being the most feared man among Westminster parliamentarians of the day.
Reputation aside, Mear’s love of fly-fishing must have created in him an appreciation for Frank Sawyer’s talent and abilities. And now we are all the richer for their collaboration.
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