Fountains of Youth – Classic trout flies that have withstood the test of time … flies that remain “forever young”
by Major Oliver Leach
Editor’s Note – The Covid-19 quarantine allows Maj. Oliver Leach, Rusty Dunn’s friend and mentor, to write a long-promised column on Herbie Welch’s famous feather-wing streamer, the Black Ghost.
Most dedicated fly anglers would likely agree that the Black Ghost is one of the all-time best streamer flies. It was created by Herbert L. (Herbie) Welch, a legendary guide, artist, taxidermist, fly tier and caster from Lake Mooselookmeguntic, which is nestled in Maine’s famous Rangeley Lakes region. Mr. Welch pioneered the use of long-shanked hooks for streamer flies, because he believed they more accurately imitated long-bodied smelt baitfish. He was a neighbor of many famous fly dressers, including the renowned Carrie Stevens, who in 1924 created what is possibly the most famous feather-wing streamer of all, the Gray Ghost.
Streamer flies are typically designed to imitate forage or bait fish, upon which larger fish, including trout, feed. The long hook shanks of classic streamers are wrapped with shiny and/or colored materials to imitate the medial and underbody of various forage fish. Wings are constructed of feathers or hair and tied slightly longer than the hook shank to simulate the translucent, undulating, swirling movements of the upper body, fins and tail of baitfish.
Fishing with dry flies originated in Macedonia as early as the 3rd century A.D., but the origins of streamers are uncertain. Alaskan explorers in the early 1800s described Inuit fishing with lures constructed of bone, feathers and hair. Such angling was probably practiced for millennia, but streamers as we know them became popular in eastern Canada and the northeastern US in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Both then and now, Maine is considered by many to be the center of streamer development, design, innovation and artistry. Theodore Gordon, the “father of the American dry fly,” is credited with first tying his famous Bumblepuppy streamer in 1880.
Mr. Welch likely developed the Black Ghost prior to 1920, but the fly made its public debut in the spring of 1927 at the Boston’s Sportsmen’s Show. Mr. Welch shared his pattern recipe with Nellie Newton, an exhibiting fly dresser with the Percy Tackle Company of Portland, Maine. Ms. Newton took a fancy to the Black Ghost and continued tying and promoting it both at the show and upon returning to Portland.
The Rangeley Lakes region has long been an historic summer destination for fly anglers throughout the Northeast. Anglers traveling north to the region often stopped at their favorite Maine tackle shops for supplies. Many met with custom fly dressers to order a batch of hot or favorite streamers or to direct the tying of a new pattern they recently conjured up. The Percy Tackle Company in Portland was one such popular stop, and in 1927 many anglers departed with a supply of Black Ghost streamers dressed personally by Ms. Newton. Stories soon poured forth from the Rangeley Lakes region about the remarkable Black Ghost streamer and its ability to catch sizable brook trout. Shortly thereafter, guides and anglers throughout the region duplicated and fished the pattern. News of the Black Ghost spread widely, and it soon was very popular across the US. Its widespread use demonstrated that the Black Ghost is effective not only for large brook trout but also for other trout, steelhead, salmon, and warm water species such as bass.
The Black Ghost is a less complicated pattern to tie than Carrie Steven’s Gray Ghost, and it easily accepts substitute winging materials, such as bucktail or marabou. In his classic book Streamer Fly Tying and Fishing (1966), Joesph Bates notes that Herbie Welch highly recommended that wings of the Black Ghost be tied with saddle hackles, because such feathers “make a more streamlined fly and give better action in the water.”
Copyright 2020, Major Oliver Leach
Black Ghost
| Hook: |
4X to 6X-long, #2 to #10 |
| Thread: |
6/0 – black |
| Tail: |
Hackle fibers – yellow |
| Rib: |
Tinsel, flat medium – silver |
| Body: |
Silk or floss – black |
| Throat: |
Hackle fibers – yellow |
| Wings: |
Saddle hackles, four – white |
| Cheeks: |
Jungle cock |
Black Ghost
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Last Updated: May 11, 2020 by Drew Kasel
by Major Oliver Leach
Editor’s Note – The Covid-19 quarantine allows Maj. Oliver Leach, Rusty Dunn’s friend and mentor, to write a long-promised column on Herbie Welch’s famous feather-wing streamer, the Black Ghost.
Most dedicated fly anglers would likely agree that the Black Ghost is one of the all-time best streamer flies. It was created by Herbert L. (Herbie) Welch, a legendary guide, artist, taxidermist, fly tier and caster from Lake Mooselookmeguntic, which is nestled in Maine’s famous Rangeley Lakes region. Mr. Welch pioneered the use of long-shanked hooks for streamer flies, because he believed they more accurately imitated long-bodied smelt baitfish. He was a neighbor of many famous fly dressers, including the renowned Carrie Stevens, who in 1924 created what is possibly the most famous feather-wing streamer of all, the Gray Ghost.
Streamer flies are typically designed to imitate forage or bait fish, upon which larger fish, including trout, feed. The long hook shanks of classic streamers are wrapped with shiny and/or colored materials to imitate the medial and underbody of various forage fish. Wings are constructed of feathers or hair and tied slightly longer than the hook shank to simulate the translucent, undulating, swirling movements of the upper body, fins and tail of baitfish.
Fishing with dry flies originated in Macedonia as early as the 3rd century A.D., but the origins of streamers are uncertain. Alaskan explorers in the early 1800s described Inuit fishing with lures constructed of bone, feathers and hair. Such angling was probably practiced for millennia, but streamers as we know them became popular in eastern Canada and the northeastern US in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Both then and now, Maine is considered by many to be the center of streamer development, design, innovation and artistry. Theodore Gordon, the “father of the American dry fly,” is credited with first tying his famous Bumblepuppy streamer in 1880.
Mr. Welch likely developed the Black Ghost prior to 1920, but the fly made its public debut in the spring of 1927 at the Boston’s Sportsmen’s Show. Mr. Welch shared his pattern recipe with Nellie Newton, an exhibiting fly dresser with the Percy Tackle Company of Portland, Maine. Ms. Newton took a fancy to the Black Ghost and continued tying and promoting it both at the show and upon returning to Portland.
The Rangeley Lakes region has long been an historic summer destination for fly anglers throughout the Northeast. Anglers traveling north to the region often stopped at their favorite Maine tackle shops for supplies. Many met with custom fly dressers to order a batch of hot or favorite streamers or to direct the tying of a new pattern they recently conjured up. The Percy Tackle Company in Portland was one such popular stop, and in 1927 many anglers departed with a supply of Black Ghost streamers dressed personally by Ms. Newton. Stories soon poured forth from the Rangeley Lakes region about the remarkable Black Ghost streamer and its ability to catch sizable brook trout. Shortly thereafter, guides and anglers throughout the region duplicated and fished the pattern. News of the Black Ghost spread widely, and it soon was very popular across the US. Its widespread use demonstrated that the Black Ghost is effective not only for large brook trout but also for other trout, steelhead, salmon, and warm water species such as bass.
The Black Ghost is a less complicated pattern to tie than Carrie Steven’s Gray Ghost, and it easily accepts substitute winging materials, such as bucktail or marabou. In his classic book Streamer Fly Tying and Fishing (1966), Joesph Bates notes that Herbie Welch highly recommended that wings of the Black Ghost be tied with saddle hackles, because such feathers “make a more streamlined fly and give better action in the water.”
Copyright 2020, Major Oliver Leach
Black Ghost
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