"The Green King" by Kelson, George M.

Author Kelson, George M.
Book The Salmon Fly
Book Edition N/A
Page 161
"The old standard Spey flies, like this one, are dressed upon long shanked hooks. The bodies start from a point as much before the direct line of the point of the hook as the work in ordinary standard flies starts behind it; that is equal to saying the bodies are comparatively very short. The wings are also very short, in fact, no longer than the bodies, if so long.

In preparing a Spey-Cock's hackle, do not remove all the fluffy fibres at the root, but leave about three on each side of the quill"
Tags spey,

Material

  • Body: Dull green: mix of light and dark green, brown and a little yellow Berlin wool
  • Ribs: Narrow gold, narrow silver and light olive-green sewing thread, equal distance, wound reverse. Green thread over hackle
  • Hackle: Red Spey-Cock, wound from the root, over the metal ribs
  • Throat: Two turns Teal
  • Wings: Two strips of Mallard with brown mottled points and grey mottled roots

Original material

As written in the book:

BODY. A dull shade of green, composed of a mixture of light and dark green, brown, and a little yellow Berlin wools.
RIBS. From separate starting points of gold tinsel (narrow), silver tinsel (narrow) and light olive-green sewing thread. These are all wound the reverse way an equal distance apart, but the sewing thread is left until the hackle is put on. The two metal ribs run under the hackle, the sewing thread is put over it, between the fibres.
HACKLE. From end of body, a red Spey-Cock hackle, but wound from the root instead of from the point, in the usual direction, thus crossing over the metal ribs.
THROAT. Teal, two turns only.
WINGS. Two strips of Mallard, having brown mottled points and grey mottled roots.