Just letting you know about our upcoming meeting on November 15th, at the King County Library Annex Building, in Issaquah. We will meet at 9am, those wanting breakfast prior to the meeting will meet at The Egg and I, in Gillman Village, Issaquah at 8am.
We have all been drawn to Classic Salmon Flies for their beautiful, balanced bodies of silk, or fur, and the gorgeous wings framing out the fly. While we have dug into tying the flies, explaining the points to remember and what you should be looking out for in the construction of these beauties. One thing that we have not covered are the wings… while I prepare for our meetings I spend the time to gather all the materials for the fly to be demonstrated that month, I tend to build the wings here at home. This makes for a smooth transition from part to part, but I thought to myself, we have never spent the time on explaining the wings. So that will be the focus for our meeting in November.
We will talk about and discuss the materials needed, their preparation, and what to do to make a wing for our fly. I will list the materials required to build a wing, show how to marry, shape, hump and align the wing slips making a nicely shaped skin to mount on a fly. Although we will not be tying a fly, I will show you 4 of the major types of wings seen in the books we use to tie Classic Salmon Flies. This, I hope will be a perfect time to have members chime in on their perspectives and thoughts about how to decipher a recipe. We all have different ideas, skill levels and artistic interpretations where we arrive at making up our wings. I will list some materials so you can gather your stuff and build wings along with the group.
Winging Materials:
Turkey tails both dyed and natural are the most common I have found while being in the Guild. Swan, while being tougher to find work well for smaller and medium sized flies, and Goose (shoulder) is widely available dyed, or in white so you can dye what you need.
Dyed colors include, Yellow, Red, Claret, Orange, Grass Green, Light Blue, Medium Blue and Dark Blue, Golden Yellow, Magenta. Both Swan and Goose on those shades as well. Bring what you have!!
Natural Materials would consist of Peacock Wing, Dark Mottled Turkey, Light Mottled Turkey, Cinnamon, Golden Pheasant Tails and side tails, Argus and snowflake Argus, Amhurst Tail, Florican Bustard, Kori Bustard.
Tools needed, Bodkin, tweezers, Scissors, Tooth Brush, Light and something to put your completed wings in to transport home.
After researching books and other information I have decided to take on the 4 Major Wing types you are likely to encounter while tying. While we might disagree on certain things, these are MY interpretations and thoughts about their construction and the names and methods used to describe and build them.
1) STANDARD MARRIED MIXED WING:
The most often used wing we see today for Salmon Flies. Married strips of colored material as well a Natural Materials, selected and joined together to make a Skin, two skins make up a wing. Now, depending on the author and recipe, the listing of materials can be put together in the order they appear for that fly. They will differ.
For example, T.E. Pryce-Tannett usually always have the colors lower in the wing and Natural Material higher up. Kelson will have things more blended, selecting naturals then a color etc… Here is where your individual artistic eye comes into play, are you just tying the fly as it appears in a picture, or copying someone else’s work, maybe you just have a recipe and put together a harmonious blend to suit you? Your in control here. While tying a fly I have for some time now counted materials I will marry to make up my wings. I don’t tie huge flies, mine rest in the 1,2,0, 1/0, 2/0 3/0 and 4/0 size range. My standard count rests in the 21 fiber range, depending on the recipe, and up to 26. Big wings are something we Americans do ! Lol. We will choose a fly, select our material, cut out the approximate numbers of fibers, then begin to marry them together, emphasizing the correct tip angle, humping, and finger manipulations. I always start with the bottom fibers and build upward, usually ending with GPTail on the top.
Examples: Green Highlander, Silver/Black Doctors, Benchill, Mar Lodge
2) KELSON MIXED WING:
Usually built in the order of materials listed in the recipe. This calls for 1 strand of each material, in order usually repeated at least 3 times, depending on the size of hook. Now, marrying a single strand to another single strand can be impossible, it can be done, but I don’t recommend it. So figure out the recipe, the size you going to attempt, then cut out 2 fibers more than required. If it calls for 5 strands of each material, cut 7, it will provide you with enough material to handle safely as you progress. Now on top of the first strip, marry your second material, join them, hump them, then using your bodkin strip off all but 1 strand. Grab the third material, again marry them and strip off all but 1 strand. Complete all the materials until you get to the first material, leave 1 and strip off the bottom fibers. When your done, you will have 2 fibers remaining, put them in a box so they can be used later on a different fly, remember 2 marry better than 1. As you go along remember to taper the tips as you build, just don’t make a long taper, more square. You will make up at least 3 or 4 strips of materials to constituent a wing skin, then do the other side. It will take you around 30 to 40 minutes per wing to make up, but they are pretty!
Examples: Silver/Black Ardea, Kneecap, Barefords Fancy
3) HALE’S MIXED WING:
Again,1strand of each material, laid down on a table separate lefts from rights, grab a strand lay another next to it, tips even and stroke from butt to tip to marry, add another, do the same, repeat for the number of materials required, that would make 1 Bundle, set aside. Make up at least 2 more bundles the same way, depending on the hook size. When completed, take a bundle and lay another on top of it, but slightly longer, stroke them together. Do the same with another bundle stroke outward marrying them all together, you now should have a skin, do the same with the other side, one thing about this method is that the Left side fibers make up the far wing, and the Right side fibers make up the near wing. So it’s “Tips Down” construction.
4) IRISH MIXED WING:
Grab assorted strips, depending on how bright you want it, natural materials will tone it down. Perhaps 5 strands of a natural, and 2 or 3 of color. Lay them down on top of each other, sandwiched so to speak, Lefts will make up the Far wing and Rights will become the near wing, Tips Down again. When the materials have been laid on top of each other place a strip of Bronze Mallard on it, pick it up with your tweezers, hold the wing in the middle or by the tips and using a tooth brush, brush out the butts first, change and hold the butts and brush out the tips. I place them in material clips to hold them until I’m ready to mount them.
I use GP side tails for Irish flies, goose for the colors, and don’t be afraid to trim the ends, to remove wispy ends, or sanded fibers depending on the type of bird.
Whew, that’s it, It will be fine, trust me!
Lunch will be provided, the coffee’s on, beverages in the cooler.
