One of the great fly tyers of those early days, glory days of Maine fly fishing was Bill Edson. Bill was from Portland Maine and created many streamer flies that were staples in the fly wallets of anglers who were seeking the giant brook trout and salmon of the Rangeley lakes of western Maine. Many Edson's patterns had a unique item used in their construction, that item was a small brass eye. This brass eye was used in place of jungle cock and was tied in at the head.
These are the brass eyes that are used in many of Edson's streamers. One of his patterns used both jungle cock and the brass eyes.
This is the "Kennebago Special"....The body is flat silver tinsel, the throat is yellow and red hackle. The wing is furnace saddle hackle, and the eyes are jungle and brass. It is said that this streamer was Bill Edson's favorite fly.
This streamer is called a "Dark Edson Tiger" squirrel wing....Tag is gold tinsel. tail yellow hackle. Body yellow chenille, wing is fox squirrel, throat is red hackle. The fly also uses the brass eye.
