This week’s Throw Back Thursday Fly is Ray Bergman’s Watsons Fancy.
It’s been a while since I featured a classic Ray Bergman fly. Watson’s Fancy is simple wet fly listed on Plate No.9, page 254 of Bergman’s Trout (1940 – fourth printing).
As I’ve mentioned many times, I enjoy highlighting a Bergman wet fly because it forces me to sit down and tie these elegant flies.
Bergman was well known for his wet flies, but his book also lists dry flies, streamers, nymphs, steel head and land locked salmon flies.
If you are a regular at RiverKeeper Flies, you recall Bergman’s book includes colored plates to illustrate the dry and wet flies with a description of each fly in the back. It was the first book to provide color fly illustrations.
I’ve featured several Ray Bergman flies as a Throw Back Thursday Fly. If you’d like to see more, click on the Ray Bergman Flies Category on the right-hand panel. HERE
Watsons Fancy
Body:
1/2 Scarlet Silk Floss — 1/2 Black Silk Floss
Ribbing:
Gold tinsel
Tail:
Golden Pheasant Tippet
Hackle:
Black
Wing:
Black
(Order is as listed in Bergman’s book; tied on a Mustad 3906B, size 12)
Enjoy…go fish, stay safe!
Interesting coinsidense as I just ordered a used copy of Rays book “Trout” two days ago. I actually sat down and read through Dave Hughes, “Wet Flies” for the first time. I have read different sections many times throughout the years. Do enjoy your blog. Thanks for taking the time to do it.