FLYMPH FORUM

John Veniard opens the chapter on hairwing wetflies for trout, thus: “The use of hair instead of feathers for wings has become increasingly popular for use in fast streams, especially on the west coast of America, mainly because it has more “life” when wet.”

I may have been mistaken when I said that only one of the twenty hairwing trout flies (wet) listed in the 1973 Veniard’s Fly Dressers’ Guide is a simulator type. When I glanced at the recipe I noticed it called for jungle cock cheeks, so I dismissed the Sawtooth as a cross-over steelhead or salmon pattern, which is what a lot of the hairwings listed by Veniard as suitable & popular for trouting are. But another look & I envisioned the fly, & I suspect Bergman fished this one as a salmonfly or October caddis, or for both. And I don’t think the jungle cock cheeks would hurt the pattern in either case. Though Bergman probably tied it bearded, I couldn’t resist tying it in-the-round.

Sawtooth (Ray Bergman)

Hook: #8 TMC 200R

Thread: Black UNI 8/0

Tail: Guinea hen

Rib: Oval gold tinsel

Body: Orange chenille

Wing: Pine squirrel tail

Hackle: Guinea hen

UC Steve, Howdy;

WOW ... Stunning items falling from your vise lately.
A joy to behold while sipping some coffee in the morning.
I'm enjoying, also, the thoughts you are expressing as to the
why you have done what you did. This is a very enjoyable
excursion even if they do have wings ( , spit ... ).

hank

Hank,

Glad yer drinkin coffee. Can we forever deny the existance of wings? Lookin at an old foto of Leisenring's box, it's out of focus, but, I swear, I think I can make out a few hairwings in there. However, I refuse to be led.

Twisting paradigms since 1952~
UC Steve