DF18. The Quill Gordon Dry Fly

THE QUILL GORDON FLY PATTERN
One of those who perhaps came to mean most for the development of American flyfishing was Theodore Gordon. He was born before the American Civil War and apparently fished the Catskill streams as early as his teens. He corresponded with Halford and Skues. Through this lofty correspondence with two of the great men of flyfishing, he acquired a fine insight into the development of English flyfishing. For the 25 years between 1890 and 1915, he was a prolific fishing writer, publishing over one hundred short articles of various kinds, mostly in British magazines like The Fishing Gazette and Forest and Stream. Gordon also published a number of articles in the Forest and Stream (USA). He was something of a loner who, in 1905, settled on the Neversink in order to be able to tie flies and do his fishing in peace and quiet. 

At the end of the nineteenth century, Gordon obtained some 50 dry flies from Halford. However, these were tied according to English conditions and were therefore poor imitations of the insects which existed in Gordon's home waters. As a flytier, though, Gordon began to tie his own dry flies with Halford's technique, but modelled on local insects. He created many original patterns, the best known being Gordon Quill, and he also developed the so-called "bumble-puppies" in the Neversink. These flies were the predecessors of the bucktail patterns, subsequently so much used.

Gordon laid the foundations for the Catskill School, which came to have a huge impact on American flytying. The fanaticism which marked English dry-fly fishing never reached the USA and there were thus larger possibilities of experimenting. The results were significantly more sparingly dressed flies than the typical dry flies from England. These patterns, which are particularly effective on the broken eastern U.S. waters for imitating certain mayfly species, are different from the no-hackle or low riding adult mayfly imitations found elsewhere at the time. These Catskill patterns have been called the tiptoe flies, referring to the fact that when they are properly tied, only the hackles and the tail touch the water. To achieve this high riding feature, the Catskill flies are quite different from the heavily dressed flies like the adams or the coachman. Others have described the Catskill patterns as having a particularly "clean" or Spartan appearance, which adds to their appeal.

With respect to imitation, the most famous Catskill fly, the Quill Gordon is first in another respect. It does a particularly effective job at imitating one of the earliest hatching large mayflies on many Pennsylvania and New York streams, starting as early as mid-April. The size of these flies and the time of their hatch apparently cause trout to feed eagerly. These mayflies (Epeorus pleuralis) are found in the faster sections of eastern rivers and thus have difficulty getting off the fast water, making them easy victims to winter-starved trout.

DRY FLIES
The dry fly is designed to float on the surface of the water. To prevent it sinking, water repellent hackles are wound around the hook to distribute the weight over the surface of the water. The hackles also simulate the legs and splash of an aquatic or terrestrial insect trapped on the water surface. Most Dry flies are deceivers designed to imitate a specific natural fly like the crane fly, ant and hopper series of flies. Other flies like the Adams are more general designs that are just intended to produce an edible looking fly.

Dry fly fishing has always been regarded as the supreme art in fly fishing circles. Accurate presentation of the fly can be essential. Trout will rise to a variety of natural flies but as far as the dry fly fisherman is concerned the mayfly hatch has to be the favored time. In almost all instances where trout feed on drowning insects the rule is not to move the fly. An imitation is far more likely to succeed if it is cast out and then left. So long as it is cast in the right spot.

The color of the fly is always important when matching the hatch, then size is the next important decision. The artificial fly does not have to be a precise imitation of the natural insect, but what is important is how and where it is presented in relation to the depth of water. This includes the height at which the fly floats above the surface of the water. Some fish will greedily take flies that are floating in the surface but ignore flies that are floating above it and visa versa depending on the conditions that day. Use your eyes to see which natural insects the fish are taking. A high-floating dry fly will have more chance of being taken on a bright day because of its visibility, but if it does not dent the surface film on a dull day it will be less effective. A fly floating in the surface on a sunless day leaves a much more visible halo of outlining light which surrounds it.

MAYFLIES
Some adult mayflies hatch throughout the year but other species hatch only during certain months of the year. The term Mayfly applies to all members of the order of insects not just those that emerge in May. There are hundreds of fly patterns tied to imitate the many different mayflies and stages of their development. The natural insect belongs to the group of insects called Ephemeroptera. Ephemeros means 'lasting a day' and peteron means 'a wing'. Mayflies have cylindrical bodies, slender legs and two pairs of veined wings which are held vertical when at rest. They are found all over the world and are commonly called up-winged flies in some areas. The adults do not feed and live for only a very short time: most less than a day and some only for a few minutes. The aquatic Mayfly nymphs moult anything from 12 to 50 times and take up to two years to reach adulthood. The fully grown nymph swallows air and floats to the surface where it emerges into the subimaginal stage. The mayfly is very vunerable to attack at this time from under the water surface and from dragon flies from above the surface. The dull winged subimaginal winged insect flies to rest on nearby plants if it survives. Mass swarms of emerging mayflies occur at dawn or dusk to reduce the chances of single insects being taken.

The final molt to the hairless adult with shiny wings can take place in anything from a few minutes to a few days depending on the species. Adults are known as 'spinners' and when they die and fall onto the water they are known as 'spent spinners'. The prime motivation for spinners is to mate before they die. After mating female spinners drop their eggs into the water. Some females species swim down to attach their eggs to submerged vegetation or objects. Others just land on the water surface making tempting targets for hungry trout. In any square yard or meter of a stream there may be a few hundred to many thousand mayfly nymphs. They are an important part of any predator fish's diet.