Durham Ranger
From: Favorite Flies (1892) Mary Orvis Marbury
Tied by Paul Rossman
A representation of how American-tied salmon flies looked in the 1890s
Tail: Golden pheasant crest, Lady Amherst pheasant crest, and Indian crow Butt: Black herl Body: Red seal Rib: Flat silver tinsel Wing: Two jungle cock long, covered by two golden pheasant tippets, back to back Throat: Light blue hackle Cheek: Blue chatterer Topping: Golden pheasant crest Horns: Blue and gold macaw Head: Black wool |
Durham Ranger
GS.Scruton |
A bit of controversy here. First, this was the first known fly to use Jungle Cock and take Salmon not the Jock Scott. Although credited to Jemmy Wright by Kelson (again) it was actually of Mr. Scruton of Durham who invented it. Scruton and William Henderson were members of the Sprouston Angling Club started in 1845. Apparently Scruton saw the rare Jungle Cock and added it to a Golden Parson type fly with the orange tippet pairs.It was not a well known feather by any means. Henderson writes of this in "My Life as and Angler" (1876) but the jungle cock was an addition already in 1846. Taverner points to John Forrest another famous dresser from Kelso and Sprouston, as the dresser for Mr Scruton's Durham Ranger.See page 70 in "Fly Tying for Salmon" 1947. Taverner dressing differs from Maxwell's consideribly. I have also found a Blue Ranger in Francis Francis from 1867, once again using the jungle cocks and orange tippets. |