Zane Grey's Flybox by Rich Domingue

• Zane Grey’s Flybox

  By Rich Domingue for FCC

  When I decided to recreate Zane Grey’s flybox from his halcyon days (1920s through his death in 1938)

  on Oregon’s Rogue and North Umpqua Rivers, I figured it would be a few days of research to determine

  his favorite patterns, then a few hours to tie them. That was about a year ago. For the most part, this

  delay was merely life’s interventions, but identifying the flies, and worse, finding detailed patterns for

  some of them, was an adventure. For example, among his ‘favorites’ was a fly he called the grouse and

  gold. Searching for this pattern led mostly to small trout wet flies, unsuitable for steelhead. Further

  searching led to a c. 1920 Hardy’s catalog which had a sea-trout pattern in steelhead sizes, the grouse and

  orange, which was ribbed in gold, with a grouse wing, that is the one I chose to tie. Similarly, did his

  ‘favorite’ “professor with jungle cock wings” mean JC eyes, or hackle feathers? I tied both. In general,

  ZG’s writing on fishing for steelhead focused on the adventure itself, not “how to”, or “what to use”, so

  the flies he used were seldom mentioned, and I never found a detailed pattern. I don’t believe he tied.

  What is known is that he purchased flies from Hardy’s, Orvis, and others, including locals to fill his

  boxes and these are the sources for several of the patterns in this collection. He purchased flies from

  Hardy’s and likely carried a number of full-dressed salmon patterns, but the dusty miller is the only one I

  found named. Trey Combs black and white photo of Joe Wharton’s hairwing version is the only example

  of the turkey and red pattern Grey used I could find. My search for a turkey and red pattern with real

  turkey wings, similar to Joe’s and available in the 20’s, eventually led me to the light Montreal found in

  M.O. Marbury’s book Favorite Flies and Their Histories. I tied the flies on ‘period’ style hooks to the

  extent I had them and I tried to keep the historical flavor and character of the flies in the few liberties I

  took with the patterns.

  In reading Grey’s stories about fishing the PNW and other places (Terry Mort’s anthology Zane Grey

  on Fishing), and stories about him by others (Trey Combs’ Steelhead Fly Fishing)– it became clear that

  he enjoyed a long, rich, and adventurous angling career. His writings about fishing the PNW provide a

  fun look back at the ‘good ol’ days, his entourage’s adventures, and their comical misadventures. I

  especially enjoyed the misadventures, told in a humorous self-deprecating style that left me to wonder

  if Patrick McManus filched some of his characters (e.g. Rancid Crabtree) from Grey’s entourage. Yes,

  the fishing was great by today’s standards, but his writing included laments about clear-cutting the

  forests that fed his favorite waters, aware even then of the need for protection. Steelheaders who have

  “… sallied forth to meet certain defeat,” would enjoy ZG’s fishing stories.

  The flies are from yesteryear, but they’d be right at home on the Rogue or N. Umpqua today.

  Grouse and gold

  Parmachene belle

  Golden demon

  Turkey and red

  Turkey and gold

  Hairwing coachman

  Hairwing royal coachman *

  1

  1

  *

  I found no evidence that ZG used this y, but it

  is a popular PNW steelhead y and was widely

  available at the me. It is quite possible that his

  hairwing coachman carried the red badge of

  royalty.
• Dusty miller
• 

  Grouse and gold (adapted from: Grouse and orange,

  Hardy’s catalog c. 1920)

  Tag: flat gold tinsel (#10)

  Body: golden orange floss, ribbed with fine oval gold

  tinsel

  Hackle: badger

  Wing: grouse tail

  Collar: grouse body feather

  Head: tan thread

  Hook: #4 Mustad 36890

  Parmacheene belle (this is a landlocked salmon fly

  pattern dating to the mid 1800s)

  Tag: flat silver tinsel (#10)

  Body: lemon yellow mohair, ribbed with fine silver

  tinsel (some patterns specify gold tinsel)

  Tail: red over white quill sections

  Hackle: dyed red and white hen hackle

  Wing: White over red over white quill sections

  Head: black thread

  Hook: #4 Mustad 7970

  Hairwing Coachman (in the style of Mary Orvis

  Marbury)

  Tag: flat gold tinsel (#10)

  Tail: wood duck barred flank

  Butt: red wool

  Body: peacock

  Wing: White bucktail (I subbed polar bear)

  Hackle: brown (subbed furnace)

  Head: black thread

  Hook: #3 Mustad 9002
• 

  Golden Demon (a fly Zane Grey popularized)

  Tag: flat gold tinsel (#10)

  Tail: golden pheasant crest (I added a touch of orange

  feather fluff)

  Body: small gold braid wound tight and close

  Wing: brown bucktail (I subbed silver-tipped grizzly

  bear)

  Sides: jungle cock eyes

  Hackle: fire orange

  Head: fire orange thread

  Hook: #4 Tiemco 200R

  Turkey and Gold (streamer style)

  Tag: small gold braid

  Butt: red wool

  Body: medium flat gold tinsel ribbed with small gold

  braid

  Wing: turkey secondary quills

  Sides: wood duck barred flank (optional)

  Hackle: coq de leon or similar

  Head: red wool

  Hook: #2 Mustad 9575

  Hairwing Royal Coachman)

  Tail: golden pheasant tippet

  Body: peacock herl with red silk floss in the middle

  Wing: white bucktail (I used polar bear)

  Hackle: cochy bondhu or similar

  Head: black thread

  Hook: #4 Tiemco 700

  Turkey and Red Hairwing (tied in the style of Joe

  Wharton)

  Tag: fine oval gold braid

  Tail: red hackle

  Body: red silk floss ribbed with fine oval gold tinsel

  Wing: brown bucktail

  Hackle: fiery red

  Head: black thread

  Hook: #2 Mustad 7970
• 

  Light Montreal (Mary Orvis Marbury – assumed

  original for Z. Grey’s turkey and red)

  Tag: fine oval gold tinsel

  Tail: scarlet ibis (subbed hackle tip)

  Body: scarlet silk floss ribbed with fine oval gold

  tinsel

  Wing: turkey wing

  Hackle: scarlet

  Head: black thread

  Hook: #3 Mustad 9002
• 

  Professor (with jungle cock eye wings)

  Tail: red Goose

  Body: light yellow silk floss ribbed with fine flat

  silver tinsel

  Wing: jungle cock eyes (mallard breast in original)

  Hackle: brown (subbed ginger furnace)

  Head: black thread (subbed light grey)

  Hook: #2 Mustad 511c

  Professor (with jungle cock hackle wings)

  Tail: red Goose

  Body: light yellow silk floss ribbed with fine flat

  silver tinsel

  Wing: jungle cock hackle tips (mallard breast in

  original)

  Hackle: brown (subbed ginger furnace)

  Head: black thread (subbed light grey)

  Hook: #2 Mustad 511c

  Dusty Miller (per G. Kelson, graciously tied by

  Adrian Cortes for this collection)

  Tag: silver twist and yellow silk floss

  Tail: golden pheasant topping with Indian crow

  substitute over

  Butt: black osterich herl

  Body:first two-thirds of silver embossed tinsel

  followed by orange silk floss with yellow olive

  hackle, all ribbed with silver twist

  Throat: Gallina, (guinea fowl)

  Wing: Underwing: white tipped black turkey –

  headwing: golden pheasant tail, bustard, guinea with

  sides of golden pheasant crest tied curving upward.

  Roof: Bronze mallard

  Sides: Jungle cock and pintail

  Horns: Blue macaw

  Head: Black