Getting It Backwards Again

[albannachxcuileag]

When I first posted a backwards CDC buzzer on FFF little did I know that this method of tying owes it's origins to none other than the esteemed champion of nymph fishing, George Edward MacKenzie Skues.

Skues thought to challenge the thinking prevalent at the time of the other great trout fly exponent, Frederic Halford, who's school of thought championed the dry fly to the exclusion of everything else at the time with the use of wet flies being denounced as being unethical and not representative of any form of insect life.

It wasn't until Skues published his book 'Minor Tactics of the Chalk Stream' in 1910 that a challenge was made to the then ruling 'Establishment' supported by Halford and co, the dry fly purists. With this book he established a revolution in fly fishing to which the dry school raged with controversy and heated debate ensued, Skues on the other hand had backed up his writings with careful observation of trout feeding and determined that nymph fishing was as valid a method as dry fly fishing as the trout fed on this stage of the insect as readily as it fed on the dry, more so in reality as nymphs are always present in greater numbers than dries at any given time on any water, be it still or running.

Today's knowledge backs this up and in fact proves that Skues was a true genius of his time as fishing the nymph became a method whereby you could fish when dries were not present on the water.

His next book 'The way Of A Trout With A Fly' followed in 1921 and backed up his ideas and gave us all the opportunity to pursue trout using the sunken fly to which modern nymph fishing owes it's origin.

 

This dressing of this nymph is adapted from that very book (page 129) and employs the backwards tying method I had thought at the time was unique to the backwards CDC buzzer I had SBSed.

 

 

This prelude owes it's thanks to an article from the Irish Angler.

 

So, I present for your enjoyment and delectation of the eye, Mr George Edward MacKenzie Skues Backwards Nymph.

 

 

Materials:-

 

Hook - wet down eyed of your choice

Thread - Olive

Thorax - Olive Seal's Fur

Wingcase - Pheasant Tail Fibres

Abdomen - Olive Thread

Tail - a few Pheasant Tail Fibres

Ribbing - Skues did not use ribbing on his original so I have omitted this on the SBS but you can add a rib if required.

 

Proceeding under the assumption of right handed tying capabilities.

 

 

Step 1.

Thread up your hook of choice with an even touching layer to a point above the barb

 

 

Step 2.

 

Return the thread to the hook eye keeping it even and with touching turns

 

 

Step 3.

 

Select a bunch of Cock Pheasant Taial fibres and secure to the hook by the tips

 

 

Step 4.

 

Ttrim off the tips by holding them up and cutting at an angle, this helps in reducing bulking and steps when covered with thread

 

 

Step 5.

 

Cover the trimmed tips with your thread and return it to the eye area

 

 

Step 6.

 

Secure your hackle by the tip and then trim the excess that is above the hook shank then wrap the hackle on the hook with a couple of turns and secure

 

[albannachxcuileag]

Step 7.

 

Form a slim dubbing rope with the seal's fur

 

 

Step 8.

 

Dub on the thorax tightly behind the hackle

 

 

Step 9.

 

Fold over the wing case and secure with a couple of wraps of thread

 

 

Step 10.

 

Once again hold up the fibres and trim to give an angles cut

 

 

Step 11.

 

Return your thread to above the barb and catch in a few pheasant tail fibres for the tails

 

 

Step 12.

 

Trim these in the same way as before and then start to build up the abdomen 's taper with thread. When you want to build up the taper, reduce the area that you are covering with the thread gradually and ensure that you keep using touching turns to keep things smooth

 

 

Step 13.

 

Now the abdomen is almost completed with the taper and your last layer should cover the abdomen from the tail fibres and end behind the wing case

 

 

Step 14.

 

Complete the tying with a whip finish and try not to create a bulge at the finish point

 

 

Step 15. (optional)

 

Skues did not have access to the modern varnishes and super glues that we have nowadays so here you can apply a protective coat to the threaded abdomen if you wish

 

 

Foot Note -

 

If you have a copy of this month's FF&FT (June) take a look at page 63. There is an article that tells of a dramatisation of "The Great Debate", an imaginary debate between Skues and Halford created by Professor Gordon M Wickstrom and published jointly by the American Museum of Fly Fishing and The Whole and Ancient Company of Anglers at $40 inc P&P to the UK.

[ladystrange]

thats a cute bug. thanks

[beedhead]

Lotsa effort into that post...Awesome fly dude... ..