Friday, May 19, 2017

When In Doubt "Betters" Seek A True Source

Several years ago I did a post on Fran Better's pattern the Ausable Caddis. In is book he listed the series and the variations of the five different flies. The post I did was based on this information which was from the book. Now comes the confusion. While attending the Fly Show in Marlboro or it may have been the one at Bears Den, I'm not sure. But I saw a version of the Ausable Caddis and it was tied much differently then the flies in Fran's book.
Now one can go online and find many other variations of the fly, and they claim to be Better's Ausable Caddis. So I chose to go to a source that I knew would set the record straight. That source was Jan Betters.



I sent her photos of the flies I tied thinking these were indeed the Ausable Caddis. She informed me they were not and that they were just caddis patterns Fran tied.


I then sent her the fly I tied taken from memory of the fly I saw at the fly show. She told me it was close to the Ausable Caddis, but the two hackles should be wound on together.


Back to the vise and I tied the Ausable Caddis the way Fran tied it.


This is a fly that I've been tying for awhile, elk hair and ginger hackle. It's been very effective here and I used it when I fished the streams of Memorial Forest in Sudbury.










16 comments:

  1. I love your commitment to the history of our sport, Alan. I'm not a dry fly guy but I've been using the bomber fairly regularly since I first saw you post about it with good results. I love your Elk hair and ginger, very elegant.

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    Replies
    1. mike
      Thanks
      Mike I truly love the histories of these fine old patterns. Some can be very difficult to tie for my sometimes "get in the way" fingers. Fran was quite the tyer.

      Delete
  2. Alan
    All those variations of the Ausable looks trout proven to me----what size are you tying those in? Another great job at the vice. Thanks for sharing

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Bill Trussell
      Thanks
      Bill they have all worked for me, and I'm sure others would agree.
      Those flies were tied on #14 hooks.

      Delete
  3. Replies
    1. Hibernation
      Thanks
      Will love those histories. Jan has helped me in the past with some of Fran's patterns.

      Delete
  4. Alan
    Once again a great post and some beautifully tied dry flies! They are works of art.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. TROUT1
      Thanks
      Pete I love your comments...so very positive.

      Delete
  5. Alan, Fran Betters tying style and thoughts had more impact on my own thoughts and application along the way than any other tyer. Love his patterns. He tied flies that caught fish.

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    Replies
    1. Ralph Long
      Thanks
      Ralph he has influenced me. His style of tying, "kind of rough" is what drew me to his flies.
      A master for sure.

      Delete
  6. Another reader who appreciates the fact that you study the history of some of our "old successful" patterns from long ago. Not only do you do that, and tie them, but fish them and show how remarkable the pattern is to stand the test of time...........

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    Replies
    1. The Bluegill Bug
      Thanks
      Mel we must try to keep the old stuff going, they became old stuff only by working.
      Mel you are a master of words.

      Delete
  7. I love those caddis flies, Alan. One my favorite dry flies. Once in a while when I couldn't figure out the right emerger the trout would take an elk or deer hair caddis floated over the trout's zone would get a hit. A few times I've gotten hits stripping the fly in like a wet fly.

    Best Regards, Sam

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Parachute Adams
      Thanks
      Sam that's the way I fish these flies more often than not. They nail them on the retrieve.

      Delete
  8. The intricacies of patterns are best left to those who are the experts..like yourself Brk Trt..my criteria is only that a fly looks "fishy"..

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. penbayman
      Thanks
      Mike 'fishy" is what works...all else is just icing.

      Delete