This week’s Throw Back Thursday Fly is an old Atlantic Salmon fly, the Blue Charm.
It’s a very old fly from the mid-1800s and one of the most famous Simple Strip Winged salmon flies. The fly is attributed to M. Brown.
I’ve only tied one other Salmon Fly – the Golden Butterfly.
I decided to give the Blue Charm a try in an effort to learn the technique and history of these Salmon Flies. I love the beauty of the flies. I hope to tie a couple more Simple Strip Winged salmon flies and then move to the Fully Dressed Feather Wings. We’ll see how that goes!
This fly will be mounted on a fly plate to be auctioned at the 2017 NW Fly Tying & Fly Fishing Expo in Albany, OR on March 10 and 11.
As I researched the Blue Charm after tying the fly, I found several variations.
I used the fly pattern from Poul Jorgensen’s Salmon Flies – Their Character, Style, and Dressing (1978). It’s an excellent book with step-by-step instructions to teach the various Atlantic Salmon Fly styles.
| Materials | |
| Thread: | Black, prewaxed 6/0 |
| Tag: | Fine oval silver and golden yellow floss |
| Tail: | Golden pheasant crest |
| Butt: | Black ostrich herl |
| Ribbing: | Oval silver tinsel |
| Body: | Black floss |
| Throat: | A deep blue hackle |
| Wings: | Brown-mottled turkey tail, with narrow strips of teal on each side set on the upper half of the wing (Poul prefers to apply an underwing of eastern pine squirrel tail before mounting the wings.) |
| Topping: | A golden pheasant crest feather |
| Head: | Black thread |
Other variations of the Blue Charm are as follows:
| Materials | |
| Hook: | 3/4 to 1 1/2 inches |
| Tag: | Silver thread and golden yellow floss |
| Tail: | A topping |
| Butt: | Black herl |
| Body: | Black floss |
| Ribs: | Oval silver tinsel |
| Throat: | A deep blue hackle |
| Wings: | Mottled brown Turkey tail strips (set upright) and narrow strips of Teal along the upper edge; a topping over |
Fly pattern from page 200, How to Dress Salmon Flies by T.E. Pryce – Tannantt (1914)
Lastly, a dressing from Kelson’s The Salmon Fly (1895), page 119:
| Materials | |
| Tag: | Silver twist |
| Tail: | A topping |
| Body: | Claret silk |
| Ribs: | Silver tinsel (oval |
| Throat: | Blue hackle |
| Wings: | Broad strips of Mallard, two narrow strips of Teal above and a topping |
| Head: | Black wool |
I hope you enjoyed a little history of the Blue Charm.
Enjoy…go fish!
