This week’s Throw Back Thursday Fly is Wickhams Fancy. It’s another fly I pulled from Ray Bergman’s book Trout.
Created in the 1880’s by one of the Wickhams, there appears to be a little family feud as to which family member really developed the fly. Most credit Dr. T.C. Wickham of Winchester with the fly’s creation for the chalk streams in England. George Currell’s name was identified as the first professional tyer to tie this fly in 1884.
I read the fly was to imitate a red spinner using medium gray slate starling feathers for wings and gold tinsel for the body. Brown hackle was used, tied palmer style.
This style of fly is similar to a couple other Throw Back Thursday Flies, the Henryville Special and the Hemingway Caddis.
You’ll find Wickhams Fancy on Plate No. 9, page 254.
For more information about Ray Bergman’s Trout, check out a previous Throw Back Thursday Fly, the Bostwick.
Wickhams Fancy
| Body: | Gold Tinsel |
| Tail: | Brown Hackle Tips |
| Hackle: | Brown Tied Palmer |
| Wing: | Slate |
| Hackle: | Optional – Brown Hackle |
I tied the fly on an older Mustad 3906. I’ve seen the fly tied with and without the hackle in front of the quill wings. I like it like this way.
Enjoy…go fish!
