Wednesday, November 3, 2021

Dace, Smelts and Rangeley Thoughts

The construction of Rangeley style streamers used many different types and styles of hackles. In many of the books written on hackle used were to create smelt imitations and quite a few attractor  patterns of bright colored flies. Many streamers were designed to be fished in those deep lakes of Maine, New Hampshire and New York. These lakes held landlocked salmon, brook and brown trout. The main forage of these salmonids was the smelt, with alewife and dace also in the mix. One common trait of the dace is usually that prominent lateral line. Some lines are real bold and others barely seen. So to get that predominant line to show a group of hackle was used. The group here is the Golden Badger Rooster Saddle and is pictured above.
 

When these saddle hackles are assembled and other materials used such as a throat, body, rib, shoulder and Jungle Cock eye a very representation of a "dace' comes through.
 

This is a Silver Badger Rooster Saddle. It's feathers also make for a fine Dace pattern. And with this one being silver it can also be used to create a smelt pattern.
 

Now anyone who has ever caught lake smelt will look at this streamer and suggest that is what is to represent. But it was tied to represent a "dace"..
 

If one does not have Badger hackle a substitute can be made with a white and brown feather from a standard rooster saddle.
 

One side of the brown hackle has had it's barbule's stripped off.
 

It is placed on top of the white feather.
 

A shoulder is added, a pheasant church window feather.
 

And when assembled together another fine "dace" pattern is created.

These Rangeley streamer flies are truly the fly tyers art. Many created during the depression and world wars. I can only imagine a fly tyer sitting at his vise on a cold January night. materials close by and a thought in hie head of a "big" brook trout or salmon taking his craft come
'ice out"
 

 

17 comments:

  1. Nothing takes me back to my childhood faster than trolling a streamer on a lake immediately after ice out. Three dates around here have magical properties: April 1st, reporting day for Red Sox pitchers and catchers, and ice out. Beautiful streamers, Alan. Gorgeous.

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    1. mike
      Thanks
      Mike that ice out tradition is still in practice today. There is a great little book out there and you may have read it. "Trolling Flies for Trout & Salmon" by Stewart and Leeman..It highlights the techniques associated with that tradition. Also the flies. One of the featured tyers is Art Libbey, the master of sparseness.

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  2. Always a pleasure. I've started a folder with all the "suitable for framing" flies. I enjoy looking at them. Such talent.

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    1. Mark Kautz
      Thanks
      Mark I'm not sure the site is still up, but you might try "Streamers 365" there are some drop dead gorgeous flies there.

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  3. Alan, WOW! So beautiful and so well assembled! You have honed your skills thru the years to give us these wonderful creations! You are bringing the best of the best to the surface and it is awesome!
    Thank you for doing what you do so well!
    Inspired in the den,
    Dougsden

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    1. Dougsden
      Thanks
      Doug you make a great point, "honed your skills", similar to a fine chef or a creative writer...always striving to be better. They say it's easy when you love what your doing.

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  4. Alan
    I don't have to tell you how I rate your work at the vice when to comes to tying streamers. They are beyond good; they are excellent!!
    It would pain me to fish these works of art and have a big trout tear it apart------just wondering,is there an ugly streamer????
    Thanks for sharing

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    1. Bill Trussell
      Thanks
      Bill though they be pretty they will still stand up to being used. I have some large trolling flies that are maybe 20 years old and have withstand those sharp teeth.

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  5. Beautiful patterns. The dace and smelt patterns are one of the few streamers that I have had success with.

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    1. NJpatbee
      Thanks
      Pat those two patterns have eye/food appeal to trout/salmon...other streamers rely on flash and color to draw a strike.

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  6. Great photos and description! As a master of the craft, you make it look like the assembly of these streamers is way easier than it actually is.

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    1. Shawn
      Thanks
      Shawn even with the experience of tying many the ease does not come quickly. But they are a pleasure to tie and even the botched ones will get the job done....are you familiar with the Cains River series of streamer?

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    2. I will check them out. Tomorrow morning looks like it will be chilly but calm. Good conditions to get out in the kayak to look for stripers.

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  7. very good class teacher, thanks for sharing your knowledge ....

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    1. Armando Milosevic
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      Armando your welcome...you are a great streamer tyer. I have pictures of your work.

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  8. No one ties a better streamer than you, Alan. They are a pleasure to look at and I admire your talent. Works of art actually that also catch fish. I would feel bad fishing one and losing it on subsurface wood.

    Best, Sam

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    Replies
    1. Sam
      Thanks
      Hey buddy I appreciate that. I'm certain you could accomplish streamers simply because of your skills in fly tying. I'll bet your going to sit at the vise at some point this weekend and tie one up. Days are getting short Sam.

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