A place to discuss the collecting and tying of classic flies, the tyers who made them famous, the tools, materials and techniques they used as well as the waters they were designed for. While classic is generally used to describe old things, classic is also used in the sense of first class or in the highest form. Therefore a fully dressed Salmon Fly, or a Carrie Stevens Streamer are just as much classics as a Chernobyl Ant would be. Enjoy the forum.
Hi to all you guys. It’s been a while since I posted but I’ve been pretty occupied since retirement which I suppose is a good thing.
Anyway, today I took a trip to an antique shop with the wife to see if I could hunt up some vintage cast iron pans at a decent price - which I did. But that wasn’t the highlight of the event. While there, I struck up a conversation with the proprietor and mentioned that I was a fly fisherman. He then asked if I tied my own and when I responded with a yes he told me to follow him to the back of the shop. He led me to four plastic baggies full of salmon fly feathers. He explained that they’d been in his possession for probably the last twenty five years or more and prior to that they had come from an estate sale and been sitting around for god knows how long before then. He said there weren’t too many fly fisherman or tyers around here so he didn’t think he’d ever sell them but on the other hand he wouldn’t budge on the price either when I tried to negotiate.
I inspected them and they looked beautiful so I took a chance and bought all four bags. I don’t tie classic salmon flies but I’m willing to bet some of you guys who do would be interested. Problem is that since moving down here to the southwest I’ve lost contact with a lot of the folks who would know what to do with them, so you guys are it for me. I used to have Ed (Muzzy’s) number but I lost contact with him a long time ago. Here are some pics of the bags. I can post more if it would help to determine value?
Not much value in theses feathers from what I can see, I’d have been hard pressed to pay more than $10 for all 4 bags.
Looks,like some parrot, chicken, silver pheasant, dyed guinea. Not sure what’s in the first one, maybe dyed rhea, which are probably the most desirable, but only for more modern flys. I don’t think any true classics used rhea.
Well that’s disappointing. I should’ve known better but like I said, I don’t tie salmon flies.. At the least I’ll have a lifetime supply to tie classic wet flies with. It’s a good thing I got a good deal on the pans at least...
Those are hat band feather do dads. They are arranged and tied in bundles to be used in hat bands. Almost zero use for Atlantic Salmon patterns as a lot of those feathers were trimmed before being arranged.
Thanks Royce. Don’t I feel like a fool! I figured I’ve paid more for nice dry fly capes so these had to be worth at least that. Oh well. It sucks to get stung but in reality it won’t make me or break me. Still, lesson learned nonetheless...
Some days you're the windshield, some days you're the bug. Back when they decorated the hats we fishermen wore back then they had some more value but those more knowledgeable above has seemed to say this was not your deal of year. It happens to all of us once in awhile.
Nice find! There's a long tradition of 'feather-flower' ornamentation that goes back to the days of the plumassiers in Paris--and to some people, they have value as such. Years ago I found some such feather flowers (and butterflies!) on eBay--there's a lot of things that were made from feathers before international bans and social awareness changed the course of the feather trade.
I figured I’ve paid more for nice dry fly capes so these had to be worth at least that. Oh well. It sucks to get stung but in reality it won’t make me or break me. Still, lesson learned nonetheless...
