Stewart's OTHER three flies.

The spider, a dubbed wet, and a hackled wet. This is all the direction

we were left with. 

Before you read this, realize I'm not a historian, an artist, or really very clued in. I just needed something to occupy my mind this extended weekend, and I decided this was something that I found relevant to my interests.

And, again, tied as I interperted the pattern descriptions with modern

materials.

What I'm getting at is if I'm wrong, fuck off, I followed the instructions in a 155 year old book. So, y'know, its pretty much open to interpertation. Deal with it. That aside, I'm not going to bother writing a biography of WC Stewart, because frankly all I'd do is plagiarize others, anyways. Its not like he's not a hugely pivotal figure in fly fishing, more or less advocating the use of the upstream wet fly, and helping push the spider technique of tying into the lime light.

So, whenever anyone really discusses Stewart, its all about the three spider patterns we were left with (black, red, and dun), but we were left with three additional patterns as well as these words:

The three following are the winged flies to which we are most partial... An immense number of killing flies may be made by varying the wings and body, but nothing is gained by extending he number beyond those just mentioned, and we do not believe six more killing imitations can be manufactured.

Now, he's referred to six flies, so its important to note the first three are his spiders. More interestingly, though, is that Stewart clearly believed in the appearance of life over strict imitation, and furthermore (as well documented), was so willing to put preference of technique and design over imitation, one of his famous spider descriptions (the dun) didn't even bother to note the thread colour.

Anyways, the short of it is that the guy was able to reduce his pattern collection to six, which is in stark contrast to guys who carry six different boxes of nymphs, alone. Maybe we can learn something? Let's look at all six patterns in turn...

I stole this for my own records, it ain't mine. Deal.

I admit, I'm lifting this wholly from another source. Its a bullshit move, and I'm a dick for doing it, but I'm doing it for my own personal records.

Someone has posted original scans of the feather plates from Leonard West's "The Natural Trout Fly and Its Imitation"(pg 73 through 91).

To you, Mike Conner, I say thank you, as well to the posting at the Fly Fishing in Maryland forum I lifted this from. I highly suggest the original post as Mike Conner, the poster, added many very helpful. personal notes that I don't feel is right to steal. The descriptions and plates are PD, but his information is not, please view it at its original site as long as its there.

Plates and annotation after the jump...