FLYMPH FORUM

Folks,

Over the past decade if there is one single technique I have started to rely on more and more it has to be the split thread technique.

I would like to draw on the collective knowledge of the forum members - I am trying to find out the earliest record (book, magazine article, video) this technique was described and explored.

Any references you can point me to before 1992?

Thanks,
Hans W

Schollmeyer and Leeson describe it in 1998;

http://www.amazon.com/Fly-Tiers-Benchsi ... 1571881263

( Scroll down to section 4 "Dubbed Bodies", method #43

It is mentioned here;

http://www.fresnoflyfishers.org/jerrys_ ... ubbing.pdf

I looked for early references on this as it is known today before but didn't find any. Unfortunately I can no longer remember exactly when I first heard of it, or when I first used it. Early dressers used this technique because they were often obliged to use very coarse thread, and this was split and the dubbing placed in the split. Some also used floss and split this to add dubbing. I will try and find some specific older references for you.

TL
MC

Also mentioned here that it is a very old technique;

http://globalflyfisher.com/tiebetter/du ... echniques/

Looking through some old notes of mine I find that I saw it used by David Cook in 1966 when I was fourteen. He split some waxed purple floss which was hanging down from the hook in his vice being held by hackle pliers, and added some mole fur to a "snipe and purple". ( David Cook was a bailiff on the river Esk in Yorkshire).

But of course I have no other reference for that.

TL
MC

Mike Connor wrote:Also mentioned here that it is a very old technique;

http://globalflyfisher.com/tiebetter/du ... echniques/

I asked Mike Hogue about that but he was not in a position to provide any specific references.

Looking through some old notes of mine I find that I saw it used by David Cook in 1966 when I was fourteen. He split some waxed purple floss which was hanging down from the hook in his vice being held by hackle pliers, and added some mole fur to a "snipe and purple". ( David Cook was a bailiff on the river Esk in Yorkshire).

But of course I have no other reference for that.

I will take your notes over generic assumptions any day of the week, Mike

1966 is now officially the earliest specific reference. The search continues

Regards,
Hans W

Hans,
The technique may be at least 2 centuries old. If you can find a copy of George Scotcher's The Fly Fisher's Legacy and confirm what I found in Sylvester Nemes book Two Centuries of Soft Hackled Flies under the Blue Dun fly.

For the body use the under blue dun fur of a fox...; tie on with split primrose silk and rib up with it; pick out the dubbing so that the ribs may appear.

Roadkill,

I was pretty confident the technique in use many moons ago, but you have provided the first concrete lead. Thanks!

Cheers,
Hans W

You are most welcome Hans!

I know I recently read an old reference to splitting silk floss for a dubbed body in an old Classic Salmon fly but I can't remember where.

Roadkill

While not as old, here is another reference I found to the split-thread technique in Darrel Martin's book ("The Fly-Fisher's Craft" / ISBN 1-59228-722-0 / Published by Lyons Press / Copyright 2006). In his book, Mr. Martin writes the following (page 121):

The split-thread method, like many modern methods, has an historic antecedent. W.H. Lawre, in "All-Fur Flies and How to Dress Them" (1967), quoted an extract from the holograph notes of G.E.M. Skues on "Captain Marryat's Method":

Take a piece of fine sewing silk and tye a knot at one end. Stick a pin between the strands into your table. About three inches from the pin, untwist the silk so that the strands stand wide open - enough to admit your placing a small quantity of fur-fibres or mohair between the strads of silk. Having done so, twist the silk and allow the fur-fibres or mohair to spin like a wire brush, pulling out the superfluous fibres as you twist. One turn close under the wings, picked out and trimmed is all sufficient.

Unlike a course, stiff hackle stem, a single thread creats a remarkably fine and flexible wrapping "stem".


Additional Notes that may be of interest:
Gathered from (Terry Hellekson's book entitled "Fish Flies" / page 10) and ("The Essential G.E.M. Skues" edited by Kenneth Robson / page 185)
G.E.M. Skues = George Edward Mackenzie Skues
Captain Marryat = Captain George Selwyn Marryat

Since Skues referred to the split-thread method as "Captain Marryat's Method", I think it would be safe to assume that the method predates Marryat's death (February 14, 1896)

George Scotcher's book "The Fly Fisher's Legacy" was first published in Chepstow (circa 1810).

Well done remembering those references. I knew I had seen some old references somewhere, but I thought it may have been Blacker. Didn't want to mention that without being certain. Had a quick look at Blacker today but could not find it. I saw a copy of Scotcher's book once, many years ago. I have the others mentioned.

There are actually two for sale right now;

http://www.amazon.com/Fly-Fishers-Legac ... 0904104001

A reprint;

http://www.abebooks.co.uk/FLY-FISHERS-L ... 3146385/bd

Here is the reference from Nemes;



TL
MC

May also be of interest:

( This is the text from an auction site which was selling some sets of his Scotcher flies);

15 trout flies all tied by the late Thomas Clegg. Clegg was a published writer on the subject of fly tying and is credited with inventing the daylight fluorescent fly. One of the accomplishments he is most closely identified with is being the tyer of the flies which accompanied the deluxe edition of the George Scotcher's book The Fly Fisher's Legacy in 1974. Fly patterns include: Sky Blue, Drop Fly, Red Shelled Shorn, Willow Fly, Sewin, Pale Blue, Black Ant, Red Spinner, Black Shelled Shorn, Fernshaw, Red Ant and others. Each expertly tied fly is in excellent condition. Includes a letter of provenance from the original seller.





TL
MC