The Spring Reveille T'S MID-MARCH as I write this. We're resource, theory, and data that will pro- in Kansas City, who recounts his me- all-and I use the royal we-itching vide scholars with a wealth of compiled dieval experiment of fishing with a Ifor winter to edge its way out the material. I am also pleased to include a horsehair tippet, a la Izaak Walton and door. Like a bad actor who won't get off delightful piece by Timothy Belknap of The Compleat Angler. Read it and weep. the stage, the season just won't give up New York City, a writer for Business This journal will arrive during the Week magazine, who researched George height of the 1992 fishing season, but I its icy," griv L on the Northeast. Here in the office, we have a peculiar heating system LaBranche's country house High Holt - hope you'll spare time to come indoors that works on the premise "if you need its place in his life and work-giving us for a thorough read (or for an even heat now, you'll just have to wait 'ti1 to- another perspective on this legendary greater appreciation of our sport's her- morro-cv," which means you have to be a figure. itage, take it with you to savor during a weather forecaster - "let's see, 20 de- In addition, I am pleased to introduce break on the bank of your favorite grees predicted for tomorrow; better set a new feature section to the journal stretch of water). We've been pleased to the heat at notch 2 before I leave today." called "First Person" which will appear see our readership in such active commu- Sometimes we're caught off guard (al- periodically. Here, notable figures in the nication with The American Fly Fisher, though our new publishing office is ad- angling world will talk in their own because we consider ourselves a forum mittedly, and thankfully, the coziest in voices about their experiences, accom- as well as an historical journal we are the building) -in which event Randall, plishments, and whatever else they keenly interested in your letters, notes, our art director, has to don fingerless deem fit. and comments, so keep at it, please. mittens and her vertical ski hat. It's Our first "First Person" features Nick One of the images that kept me hope- quite a sight to see her so begarbed as Lyons, book publisher and writer, ful during a nasty siege of pneumonia she attacks the computer with ferocious whose contribution to this sport is more this winter was that of a clear, cold determination. than legendary: it has been vital to our stream full of fat and healthy fish, sur- This issue of The American Fly Fisher growth and enrichment. In our Notes e5 rounded by the magic verdancy of a (Spring 1992) was a delight to put to- Comment department, we introduce Vermont May day. May all of you con- gether. Museum member A1 Cohen of Norm Crisp, a scientist with the U. S. tinue to find your own peace and re- Dallas, Texas, has exhaustively re- Environmental Protection Agency based ward on the water during these precious searched the early origins and evolution Illustration from The Compleat Angler or The halcyon days. of the salmon fly, putting together in Conteinplative Man's Recreation by Iraak Walton MARGOTPAGE one impressive document a myriad of and Charles Cotton (London: J. C. Nimmo, 1889). EDITOR THEAMERICAN MUSEUM OF FLYFISHING Preserving a Rich Heritage Journal of 4The American Museum of Fly Fishing for Future Generations SPRING 1992 VOLUME 18 NUMBER 2 TRUSTEES E. M. Bakwin Me1 Kre~ger Foster Ba~n Richard F. Kress 2 William M. liarrett David B. Ledlie Letters. ................................ Bruce H. Begin Ian D. Mackay Paul Bofinger Malcolm MacKen~ie George LaBranche's High Holt: A Place in His Lewis M. Bosden 111 Bob Mitchell Robert R. Buckinaster Wallace J. Murray I11 Life and Work. .........................4 Do1111 H. Byme, Sr. Wayne Nordherg Roy D. Chap~n,Jr. Leigh H. Perkiils Timothy Belknap Calvin P. Cole Roini Perkins Petev Corbin Allan R. Phipps 'rhomas N. Davidson 0.Miles Pollard Some Thoughts About Salmon Fly Evolution: Charles R. Eichel Susan A. Popkin G. Dick Finlay Dr. Ivan Schloff Early Metal-Bodied Salmon Flies, (A Bit About Audun Fredrikson Stephen Sloan Arthur T. Frey Wallace Stenhouse, Jr. Mixed Wings, Also), and a Yorkshireman .........9 Larry Gllsdorf Arthul- Stern Gardner I.. Grant John Swan Albert J. Cohen Curtis Hill Jail~esTaylor James Hunter Richard G. Tisch Dr. Arthur Kaeinmer James br.VanLoan First Person: My Secret Fish-Book Life. ...........20 Robert F. Kahn San Van Ness \'Voods King 111 Ilickson L. Whitney Nick Lyons martin D. Kline Earl S. IVorsham Edward G. Zern Gallery: The Y1.P Collection. ................. 24 TRUSTEES EMERITUS W. Michael Fitzgerald Leon Martuch Robert N. Johnson Keith C. Russell Notes & Comment: A Trout by a Hair ............ 25 Hermann Kessler Paul Schullery Norm Crisp OFFICERS Chairman of the Board Foster Barn Museum News. ..........................27 President Wallace J. Murray 111 Contributors ........................... 32 Vice Preszdent Arthur Stern Treasurer William M. Barrett Secretar Charles R. dchel o N T H E c o v E R : In this Spring 1992 issue, A1 Cohen tackles a virtual terra incognita: the early history of the Atlantic salmon fly, gathering ref- STAFF erences that range geographically over England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales, Executive Director Donald S. Johnson Canada, and North America. Frontispiece from William Scrope, Days and Executive Asszstant Nights of Salmon Fishing in the Tweed (London: John Murray, 1843) Virginia llulett C~lratorlDevelopment Assistant Manna D. Fisher Research/Publicity Joe A. Pisarro i"hli~Amenran Fiy Fgiher ra ~~ubl~shed THEAMERICAN FLY FISHER four lllnea a year by the Museum at PO. Box 42, Manchester, Vermont 05254. Editor Puldic~nondates are winter, spring, sunxnn, and fall, hlcmberihip dues inil~~dethe cost of a one-\ear Margot Page subscription (520) and arc tax deductible as provided for by law Ivlembcrshlp ratcs are listed In the hack of e.ich Art Director mue. All letters, manuscript?, photographs, and mareridis intended tor puhl~c.ltion in the journal should be Eent R~~ldallK. Perkins to the Museum. Thr Muscun, and lournal are not rc~pons~l~lrToi unsollclted n-,,inuscllplr, draimngs, photographs material or memorabilia The Museum cannot accept ~rspons~bllltyfur ataternmts and ~ntrrpretatlonsth.81 are Consnltirzg Editor wholly the author's Unsohclted manuscripts cdnnol be ~rturncdunlcss postage 1s pruvlded. Contlibuilonr tu ?he Donald S. Johnson Arnericnn iiy Fisher are to bc considered gratulious and the property or lhr blvlureum unlcss otherwise requested Copy Editoi- hy the contributor Artlcles appearing in this roumal are abstracted and ~ndeneiiIn H~~to~~r'ilAhitructs and Anici-icn. Sarah May Ciarkson History arzd L$. Copyright O 1992,the Amencan Muscum of Fly F~shmg,Manchester, Vermont "5254. Orig~ndl Contrihntirig Writer material appearing may not he reprinted w~thautprlor pennnslon. Second Class Perlu~tpostage paid at Mdnchrstet Joe A. Pisarro \'ermon~ oj2j4 and addltlonal offices (USPS oj/4lo). Thc Amri-zr<in Fly Fuhrr (ISSN 0884-3562) Offset Prznting r o s T M A s T E R Send Address changes to The Arnericiiri Fly fisher; YO. Box 42, Lane Press, Burlington, Vermont hfancherter, Vermont 05254. SPRING 1992 ing lines after the means had become structions for what today would be a 5- common knowledge among its com- weight double taper, pulled from among petitors, clustered, as they then were, in old production records, reads: "HEH close proximity at the opposite end of Silk1 8 ft. 3 endsl 8 12 ft. 3 to 8 ends 1 LETTERS the country. Occasionally, line design thd. every 7 I%. in./ 20 80 ft. 8 endsl loo features pertinent to West Coast fishing 12 ft. 8 to 3 ends 1 thd. every 7 l/2 in.1112 may have moved eastward, but virtually 4 ft. 3 endsl 1161 18 Lines on Bobbins." all line manufacturing technology came The first number given in lines three from the east and went west. through seven is the meter reading at Positive Feedback The process of splicing in strands of the various steps in the sequence. 1-am In the last issue of The American Fly ugreater or lesser varn count to create ta- unsure what constituted an "end" or Fisher you asked for input on how you pers during the braiding stage of a line, "thd.", the term used in this letter, hav- were doing. This is to let you know that such as Mundt's story relates, required a ing little knowledge of silk. To obtain I think you are doing fine. Very fine. I great deal of operator attention and the line diameters indicated by the letter have dropped my subscription to other markedly inhibited the potential pro- sizing, depending upon the gauge of the national magazines because I care little duction rate of the braiders. Sunset pro- silk strand used, if there is grading of about reading the latest hype on how duced tapered lines by braiding together silk on that basis, the "thread" could and where to catch big, huge, enormous tapered strands, allowing the braiders to consist of from twelve to twenty-four lunker, "hawg" trout, bass, and bone- run continuously, uninterrupted by filaments. I suspect the filaments were fish. In contrast, your magazine pro- bobbin changes. In the CortlandIU. S. only plied with a single twist rather than vides something worth reading and I Line company Process, lines were, in plied and finished with a second twist, sincerely look forward to its arrival.