Flies and photography by the author

Charles Orvis opened his tackle shop in Manchester, Vermont in 1856, and the business did thrive. The nearby Green Mountains were becoming a resort area, and Orvis developed a clientele for flies and tackle from customers both near and far. By 1876, Charles was having difficulties obtaining materials, and supplying all the flies his customers were ordering. Of his three sons and one daughter, only his daughter Mary showed interest in tying flies. An expert 'fly dresser' from New York was brought in to sharpen Mary's skills. That same year, Mary Orvis Marbury took over the fly tying business for her father, employing from five to seven women, working in the upstairs of the Union Street factory that Charles had occupied since 1870.

There were 46 Lake fly patterns. In today's terms, the Lake flies would be considered 'attractor' or 'all around' flies. They were tied generally smaller than the Bass and Salmon flies, but for the most part larger than the Trout patterns. The Lake flies could be fished for several species, from Trout to Bass. Many of the Lake patterns such as the Fiery Brown are not complicated, consisting of a tail and wing of Goose or Turkey (natural and dyed), a body of chenille, fur, or Peacock herl, maybe a tinsel rib, and a collar hackle. Some of the Lake patterns are more complex, being closer to the Salmon flies with silk bodies, and wings with multiple elements, and including more exotic feathers. Besides strip wings of Goose and Turkey, whole feather wings of waterfowl (Wood duck, Teal, and Mallard), Golden Pheasant tippets, Pheasant body feathers (hen and cock), and several other types of body feathers from other birds were paired up as 'spoon' wings on the Lake flies. Compared to modern flies, the wings were more upright, the bodies sometimes strongly tapered, and the hackles full and sweeping back. Many of the heads were built of red wool, black Ostrich herl, or Peacock herl.

If today's tyer wants to tie the Marbury Lake flies, they would be wise to think 'old school', and transport themselves back to a time when the hooks had blind eyes, the materials were natural, and the flies were colorful and uniquely adapted to the American fly fishing experience by Mary Orvis Marbury and her crew of women tyers. Study the color plates and interesting information in Mary's book 'Favorite Flies and their Histories' and you will gain an appreciation for the character and significance of these American classic flies.

Cunningham - Step by step instructions



(1) If tying on a blind eye hook, attach the twisted gut eye or snell (a straight leader of gut with a loop on the end) with thread wraps, and wind thread down to a spot roughly even with the point of the hook. Note: a reasonable 'modern' hook for these flies is the Mustad 3366. For the Lake flies, the sizes would range from about 4 to 2/0.

(2) Tie in a piece of small oval tinsel, and wrap five turns past the point (wrapping over the tinsel). Return the thread to the point of the hook, then wind five turns of tinsel forward. Tie off the tinsel. Prepare some small strips for the tail (both right and left) and marry the fibers. Place the two tail strips at the tie in spot. Pinch with thumb and forefinger, throw a soft loop over the strips and pull tight. Throw one more tight wrap over the strips directly in front of the first, then make sure the tail is sitting vertically as you want it. Add a couple more tight wraps. Trim the tail butts, or begin the underbody by winding the thread tightly over the butts.



(3) Build up an underbody that is slightly tapered (as shown) with thread wraps. At the tail, attach a piece of slightly larger oval tinsel.

(4) By dubbing loop or twisting the fur onto the thread, build the brown fur body.



(5) If using spiky fur such as Seal, trim the fur body to shape. Wind five even turns of tinsel, leaving a small space at the shoulder.

(6) Select a pair of body feathers from a Hen Pheasant. Prepare them by flattening the stems with flat pliers where the tie in wraps will be, and bending the stems on an angle as shown. Tie in the wings. If they don't sit vertically, use the pliers to twist the stems. Keep adjusting until the wings sit right. Add a drop of cement at the tie in spot.



(7) Prepare a schlappen or saddle feather by folding the fibers. Hold the feather by the tip with a hackle pliers (good side up), and use the fingers of the opposite hand to stroke the fibers of both sides down, into a 'V'. Trim the tip, then tie firmly to the hook exactly where the wing is.

(8) Make several turns of hackle, making sure the fibers sweep back. Tie off the hackle, and then switch to a red thread.



(9) Make a dubbing mixture by cutting small pieces of red wool yarn, and pulling the strands apart until it is a uniform dubbing. Twist the red dubbing thinly onto the thread and make a shapely head. Make a few more wraps of red thread, then whip finish.

PATTERNS

Cassard

Tag: oval silver tinsel

Tail: Golden Pheasant crest, yellow, red, green goose shoulder, Wood Duck

Butt: black chenille

Rib: oval silver tinsel

Body: claret silk floss

Hackle: yellow, palmered

Wing: Wood Duck

Shoulder: Golden Pheasant tippet; green, red, yellow goose shoulder, Golden Pheasant crest over

Throat: scarlet hackle

Head: Peacock herl

Claret Montreal

Tag: oval gold tinsel

Tail: red Goose

Body: claret floss

Rib: oval gold tinsel

Wing: mottled Turkey

Hackle: claret

Cunningham

Tag: oval silver tinsel

Tail: married strands of grey, Mallard, and red dyed Goose or Turkey

Body: brown fur (Seal used here)

Ribs: oval silver tinsel

Wing: Hen Pheasant body feathers (paired)

Hackle: brown Head: red wool

Fiery Brown

Tag: oval gold tinsel

Tail: red dyed goose

Body: fiery brown fur

Wing: mottled Turkey

Hackle: brown schlappen

Head: red wool

Goldenrod

Tag: oval silver tinsel

Tail: red dyed Goose or Turkey

Butt: black Ostrich herl

Body: orange Seal or similar fur

Ribs: oval silver tinsel

Hackle: orange

Wing: Jungle cock body feathers

Grasshopper

Tag: flat gold tinsel and light olive floss

Tail: Wood Duck and yellow goose

Body: grey fur

Wing: Jungle Cock, red and yellow dyed Turkey

Hackle: Claret schlappen

Head: black Ostrich herl

Hill Fly

Tag: oval silver tinsel and yellow floss

Tail: Golden Pheasant crest

Body: Black floss

Ribs: oval silver tinsel

Wing: Golden Pheasant tippets, strips of Mallard and Teal, strips of brown Turkey, GP crest (at the sides)

Hackle: black

Head: black Ostrich herl

King of the Woods

Tag: gold tinsel

Tail: red and yellow Goose

Body: yellow floss

Rib: oval gold tinsel

Wing: grey and brown Mallard, red Goose

Hackle: green

Head: red wool

Kingfisher

Tag: silver tinsel

Tail: Golden Pheasant tippet

Body: red silk floss

Rib: oval gold tinsel

Wing: Teal

Hackle: brown

Head: red wool

Klamath

Tail: red Goose and barred Wood Duck

Body: Peacock herl

Wing: spotted Loon feathers (Black Francolin subbed here)

Hackle: brown

Head: black herl

Lord Baltimore

Tag: oval gold tinsel

Tail: black dyed Goose or Turkey

Body: orange floss

Ribs: black silk floss

Wing: black dyed Goose or Turkey

Cheeks: Jungle cock

Hackle: black



McLeod

Tag: oval gold tinsel and yellow silk floss

Tail: yellow, red, and brown fibers

Butt: red silk floss

Rib: black silk floss

Body: yellow silk floss

Wing: mottled brown hen and red dyed Goose

Hackle: yellow

Head: black Ostrich herl

New Lake

Tag: flat silver tinsel

Tail: red Goose and Mallard

Body: flat silver tinsel

Rib: oval silver tinsel

Hackle: red palmered

Wing: Golden Pheasant tail

Hackle: red

Head: red wool

Parmachene Beau

Tag: silver tinsel

Tail: red and white

Butt: black herl

Body: yellow floss

Rib: oval silver tinsel

Wing: white and Jungle Cock

Hackle: red and white

Head: black Ostrich herl



Parmachene Belle

Tag: oval silver tinsel

Tail: red and white

Butt: Peacock herl

Body: yellow floss

Rib: flat silver tinsel

Hackle: yellow palmered

Wing: red and white

Hackle collar: red

Head: red

Sheenan

Tag: silver tinsel

Tail: Golden Pheasant tippet

Butt: red chenille

Body: yellow floss with black hackle palmered front half of body

Wing: grey Mallard

Hackle collar: black

Head: Red

Yellow Betsy

Tail: Wood Duck

Body: orange chenille

Wing: Wood Duck breast

Hackle: brown



