Well Oldman Bob Got Me Again

I told Oldman Bob, I don't understand how guys tie those fancy classic salmon flies. Well I knew Bob usto and does tie some sweet looking ones. He said you should tie one, and low and behold a short while after that the mail man showed up at my door with an envelope with a shit load of fancy feathers and a few hooks. What a generous thing for him to do.
I quickly stashed them away and thought he's not getting me to try that.

Well 2 or 3 weeks later I thought, why not. That envelope kept calling my name from the back of the drawer. So I took it out and sat down at the vice and went to it. I have to tell you all this is the first and last one of these I'll ever tie one of these flies.

I started and got 3/4 of the fly tied and then I sat back looked at it and said, I don't like the looks of this thing. So I tore it all apart. I started over again. This is the final fly pictured.
I knew it was tough but what a pain it is deciding which feathers to use and how to tie it straight up on the top of the hook shank.
I'm happy how this, the first try, and only try I'll do at one of these flies looks. If that mailman ever shows up at my door again with an envelope with feathers with a return address of RI. I'm not accepting it   
Thank You Bob, I'm glad you got me to tie one of these tho.

That's a good try, Charlie. Very good indeed for a first effort.

They are not easy things to do at all, especially the 'built' wings, made from strips of different coloured feathers married together to make one big wing.
One of the true Masters, or Master'ess of the art was a lady called Megan Boyd; a Scot, she made her living producing these old flies at a standard that has to be seen to be believed (personally, I suspect Magic! ).
A film has just been completed documenting her life. If you're interested, go to www.kissthewater.com for details of screenings, both here & over with you lot, too or you can watch online. I haven't seen it yet but it is near me on the 16th. An education for any fly-dresser I am sure.

Give it another go Charlie, you can do it, I'm sure! It does get easier with practise, even if us mere mortals will never get to the sort of standards that Miss Boyd achieved with consumate ease.
For all the old Victorian patterns I can recommend the book by a Scandinavean, Mr. Mikael Frodin, another 'Wizard' of the art, titled 'Classic Salmon Flies; History & Patterns'. If you can find it, it is a fascinating insight into the subject..

... from which sprang your own branch of the sport, as your predecessors developed your own patterns for the salmon over there.
They must have thought they'd 'died-&-gone-to-Heaven' at all those pristine rivers & great runs of big, beautiful fish. Back in Europe, access to such rivers had become the exclusive right of the very priveledged, only!