Alder Fly

This week’s Throw Back Thursday Fly is the Alder Fly.

Alder Fly | www.johnkreft.com

This fly is an old English fly pattern that is hundreds of years old. In fact, some quick Internet research suggests it may have been developed around 1496 when it was included in Dame Juliana Berners first fly fishing book Fysshe and Fysshynge.

I wonder if there is a similar fly in one of my Antique Fly Wallets. Other old fly wallets can be found at Antique Fly Wallets Revisited. I’ll have to check.

I have to be honest. I’ve never fished this fly. Found it and if I were to fish if, I’d do so during a caddis hatch.

I think it would catch fish!

Similar Posts

  • Max Canyon Steelhead Fly

    This week’s Throw Back Thursday Fly is the Max Canyon steelhead fly. Fall is in the air and I’ve heard a few fly fishers have been talking about steelhead fishing. I thought this was a perfect time to bring back a few steelhead flies for TBT! The Max Canyon is a fly found in John…

  • Gray Hackle Peacock

    A Grey Hackle Peacock is this week’s Throw Back Thursday fly. An old one I found in one of my vintage fly wallets. Notice the leader tied into the fly. We don’t tie them like that anymore. Like I said – OLD. A wet fly originated in the 1700’s. Have any in your fly box?

  • Ray Bergman Pale Evening Dun

    This week’s Throw Back Thursday Fly is the Ray Bergman Pale Evening Dun. The Pale Evening Dun is a Ray Bergman dry fly listed in his book entitled Trout (1940 – fourth printing) on page 123, Plate No. 6. Bergman was well known for his wet flies, but his book also lists dry flies, streamers, nymphs,…

  • Dotterel

    This week’s Throw Back Thursday Fly is the Dotterel. It was interesting to me as I read about Thaddeus Norris (1811 – 1878). He authored The American Angler’s Book (1864) and American Fish Culture (1868) and had a significant impact of fly fishing in America. Norris recognized the difference between British and American stream, rivers, and lakes as well…

  • Royal Coachman

    This week’s Throw Back Thursday Fly is a Royal Coachman. I’ve shared a couple of Royal Coachman flies over the years as a TBT post and decided it was time to share them again. Why? Well, we’ve been on a fly fishing road trip for almost three weeks now and met a fly fishing couple…

2 Comments

  1. Hi John,

    The Alder Fly tied as a wet fly and also as a streamer has long been a favorite. Al’s largest river trout (in his life) was taken on an Alder Fly wet-style pattern from the Clark Fork River in north Idaho in 1988. We like to tie the streamer version with a brown or white calf tail wing. Take care & …
    Tight Lines – (Gretchen &) Al Beatty

    Reply

    1. Thanks for the comment Al!

      Your comment is EXACTLY why I enjoy posting older flies. It seems to strike chords/memories in fly fishers and I’m the recipient of their stories! I really enjoy them.

      Thanks again.

      John

      Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *