Polly Rosborough Grasshopper

This week’s Throw Back Thursday Fly is a Polly Rosborough Grasshopper fly pattern.

Polly's Grasshopper | www.johnkreft.com

I found this fly on a display at the International Federation of Fly Fishers Museum in Livingston, MT. It’s is one of several flies in a display entitled Polly’s Proven Killers.

I took this picture of Polly’s Grasshopper through the glass display in a dark room and I think it turned out quite well. It was one of several flies in the collection of Polly Rosborough.

Ernest H. “Polly” Rosborough (1902 – 1997) tied a large variety of flies but is probably best known as an author of Tying and Fishing the Fuzzy Nymph (1965).

Polly lived in Chiloquin, Oregon and his home river was the Williamson River.

Here is another TBT Rosborough fly – the Dark Caddis.

Enjoy…go fish!

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4 Comments

  1. I knew Polly for many years, quite a character. Did lot’s of work on his green suburban! I have a set of his flies and his book Tying the Fuzzy Nymph autographed by him. Could anyone give me an idea of their current value?
    Many thanks

    Reply

  2. Thanks for posting the great photos of Polly’s flies. I’ve been researching his work for a project I’m working on and am surprised just how few photos of his work are around. Of the 60 or so patterns he originated, this one is a favorite. Cheers

    Reply

  3. Hi John,
    Gretchen and I had the pleasure of knowing Polly for a number of years. His patterns and fly-tying demonstrations were a real inspiration. Polly was one of the real “characters” in the fly-fishing industry. Take care & …
    Tight Lines – (Gretchen &) Al Beatty

    Reply

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