Fred Bridge
aka: Fred of York - Pennsylvania
Fred is a professional fly tier living in York, PA.
He's been tying and fly fishing for over 50 years. His mentor was the late Russ
Mowry (below is an introduction to Russ).
Fred restricts tying for himself, friends, and family now that he is a "retired old fart." Most of his dry flies are of the burnt wing, spent wing, and parachute style. Although better at nymph fishing, he loves to entice trout up to a dry fly.
Fred actively supports a number of PA Trout Unlimited Chapters. He put together slide shows from trips to Yellowstone Country, New York's Salmon River, and New Zealand's North Island, and presents the slide shows to conservation and fishing groups, charging only travel expenses. He's a social person who enjoys meeting and talking with fly fishermen.
Pictured to the right is Fred with
two Cohos, 16.5 and 14.5 pounds, that he caught in New York's
Salmon
River in September 1999. He said the big ones double that size and are
available in October. He fishes the river several times each year.
I have fished with Fred on more than one occasion and admit he out-fished me every time with his Green Weenie. He felt sorry for me so gave me one of his flies. I still failed to produce even close to the amount he was bringing to hand. It wasn't until a few weeks later, in my home wild trout water, that I gave the Green Weenie another try. I know that water, as Fred knew his Pennsylvania water, but the Weenie did not do well. Suddenly, I realized Fred almost constant flicked his rod while mending the line. So, I gave it a try and discovered it was the secrete. It improved my success a lot but needed to work on getting the right flicking action if I wanted to compete with Fred on my next trip to Pennsylvania. I concentrated on a dead drift before and could sometimes see the trout approach, take a quick look, and leave. The constant flicking of the rod caused the Weenie to frequently move slightly enough to encourage the trout to take the fly. Check out his Green Weenie and give it a try. I found it to work best in moderate runs.
Fred
is a very good woodworker as well as angler and tier. He makes things from
nets to shadow boxes. I have one of his boxes on my den wall displaying
flies and you can see his net in the picture with one of his trout.
Russ Mowry (1927-1997)
An innovative fly tier from Western PA was associated with many of the well-known fly tiers and authors of the past 30 years. He often was a guest tier at the Seven Springs Fly Tiers Symposium in Somerset, PA, and other similar events. His trademark flies were spent wing parachutes using burned wings though he was just as skilled in tying the Catskill style dry flies. Collaborating with another Westmoreland tier, Ken Igo, he developed the Green Weenie, a fly that continues to grow in popularity. For many years after his retirement from the Latrobe Steel Company, Russ owned and operated Mowry’s Fly Box, in Latrobe, PA, dealing solely in flies, fly tying materials, and fly fishing equipment.
One of the
founding members of the Forbes Trail Chapter of Trout Unlimited, he held many
offices in that organization. A year prior to his death, he was presented
that organization’s Silver Trout Award for outstanding service and for giving
unstintingly of his time and effort in working for the betterment of the
organization and improvement of the Loyalhanna watershed. He was a member
of Spruce Creek Rod and Gun, Slate Run Fly Fishers, and a founding member and
driving force behind a special Westmoreland County group of fly fishermen, known
as Afloat.
Russ was a pleasant mannered individual who always had a smile on his face. He lived by the old adage that it was better to say nothing if you were unable to say anything good about a person.
Russ was brother in law, buddy, friend, fishing companion, and mentor to Fred, teaching him to tie flies and fly fish more than 50 years ago. Russ always joked (?) that when he married Fred’s sister, he didn’t know until the ceremony was over that Fred went along with the deal.
Select One of Fred's Flies:
Anatomical Adams (Novelty Fly)
Braided Body Stonefly (With Instructions)
Gray Hackle Peacock Elk Hair Caddis
Infamous Pink Worm (With Instructions)
Be sure to visit our on-line store at http://www.flytyingworld.com/angling/index.html
Fred Bridge It was created by his brother-in-law, Russ
Mowry, a very well known and respected tier from PA. Information about
Russ is in Fred's Title Page.
Select Another Fly: Gray Hackle Peacock Elk Hair
Caddis
Return to Fred's
Introduction.
Tier: Fred Bridge
Select Another Fly: Anatomical Adams
(Novelty Fly)
Braided Body
Stonefly (With Instructions)
Gray Hackle Peacock Elk Hair
Caddis
Infamous Pink Worm (With
Instructions)
Return to Fred's
Introduction.
for your tying needs.
Hook:
Mustad 9671 #10-#14.
Thread: Black.
Tail: Black fibers from saddle hackle.
Body: Black dubbing, your choice.
Thorax: Same as body.
Wing: Black hen feathers, burned, tied spent wing style on hackle
post.
Hackle: Black.
Notes: Dub and tie body to give two segments with front segment dubbed
fore and aft of post. Wings should be centered over front segment.
With Instructions
Tier: Fred Bridge
Hook: Mustad 9671 #6-#14.
Thread: 6/0, color to match dark portion of braided
body.
Tail: Goose biots, color to match light portion of braided
body.
Body: Braided embroidery yarn.
Thorax: Fur dubbing, your choice.
Wing Case: Turkey quill.
Hackle: Palmered saddle hackle.
Note 1: Feelers are the same as the tail but may be omitted. Best
color combinations are brown/yellow; green/yellow; black/gray. Vary number of strands of yarn to suit hook size. Colors for
thorax, wing case, and palmered hackle should coordinate with dark color of braided body, i.e., medium brown or
tan for brown/yellow; light olive for green/yellow; light gray for black/gray.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR BRAIDED BODY
If you need a sample fly, drop me an e-mail.
I find this technique of braiding the body much easier than weaving. I
use it for stonefly patterns of various colors, ranging in size from 6 to 16.
I use Mustad 79580 hooks but any long
shank, 2x-3x should work.
1. Put hook in vise and lay down thread base along shank.
2. Use embroidery yarn. Color combination I use are brown and yellow; green and yellow, black and gray, gold and
pale yellow. Same technique can be down with swannundaze or larva lace but not in the very small sizes.
For the remainder of instructions, assume brown and yellow, and a size 6 or 8 hook.
3. Tie in a pair of brown goose biots for the split tail. Wrap with lead wire in upper body and beginning of thorax
area. Advance thread to front of thorrax area.
4. Tie in a 7" piece of brown embroidery yarn along the side of the hook extending from the tie in point back to the
biots tie in. Wrap thread tightly from front to back and back to front to hold yarn along the side.
5. Repeat this procedure with 7" piece of yellow embroidery yarn on other side of hook. You should now have two
pieces of yarn about 5-1/2 - 6 inches long hanging down at biot tie in point.
6. I now use a pair of pliers and flatten the lead wire. This gives the wide body stonefly look.
7. Tie off and cut thread.
8. Turn the vise so the eye of the hook is pointing straight at you. Now begins the braiding.
9. With the yarn under the hook, take a strand of yarn in each hand and make a simple granny knot ALWAYS
wrapping the light color over the dark color.
10. Gently push the dark color back through the knot to form a small loop and slide the loop over the hook eye.
Move the knot back to the tie in point and pull the strands straight out from the sides of the hook shank.
(The granny knot is now around the hook shank with the dark color on top and the light color on the bottom and the
transition twist on the side.)
11. Repeat the granny knot routine (ALWAYS light over dark and dark loop over top of hook).
Work your way up the hook shank toward the eye. Stop as you get into thorax area.
12. Turn vise back to normal position. Reattach thread, tie of yarn and trim excess yarn.
13. Tie in turkey wing section for wing case. Tie in brown saddle hackle feather to palmer over fur thorax.
Use tan fur or wool dubbing and build a nice fat thorax. Palmer feather over thorax, about 3-4 turns.
14. I use goose biots for feelers and tie them in now.
15. Trim off hackle on top of fly. Pull turkey section over the top and tie off. Cement
head.
Note: Most embroidery yarn comes in 5 strand which I use for sizes 4, 6, 8. Remove a strand or two or three as the
hook sizes get smaller. Also, as option you can simply use a couple of the fibers of the turkey wing case section as
the feelers.
Select Another Fly:
Anatomical Adams (Novelty Fly)
Braided Body Stonefly (With Instructions)
Gray Hackle Peacock Elk Hair Caddis
Infamous Pink Worm (With Instructions)
Return to Fred's Introduction.
Tier: Fred Bridge
Hook:
Mustad 9671 #10-#16.
Thread: Rusty brown.
Tail: Three pheasant tail fibers, split.
Body: Blend of dark brown, green, gold rabbit, to get a rust
color.
Ribbing: Dark brown floss.
Thorax: Same as body.
Wingcase: Dark turkey quill.
Legs/Throat: Brown partridge.
Select Another Fly:
Anatomical Adams (Novelty Fly)
Braided Body Stonefly (With Instructions)
Gray Hackle Peacock Elk Hair Caddis
Infamous Pink Worm (With Instructions)
Return to Fred's Introduction.
Gray Hackle Peacock Elk Hair Caddis
Tier: Fred Bridge
Hook:
Mustad 94840 #12-#16.
Thread: Black.
Body: 3 to 5 peacock fibers, twisted with thread.
Hackle: Grizzly, palmered.
Wing: Brownish gray elk hair.
Notes: A great general purpose caddis when you can't match the hatch.
Select Another Fly:
Anatomical Adams (Novelty Fly)
Braided Body Stonefly (With Instructions)
Gray Hackle Peacock Elk Hair Caddis
Infamous Pink Worm (With Instructions)
Return to Fred's Introduction.
Tier: Fred Bridge
Hook:
Mustad 79580 #12.
Thread: Green.
Body: Fluorescent green medium chenille
weighted with fine lead wire.
Notes: 1/4" loop tied in at bend of hook is critical, then simply wrap
chenille up the shank and tie off, build a nice smooth head of thread, whip finish and cement.
This fly is the most effective early to mid season fly I have ever used for stocked trout.
Tied unweighted and dressed with floatant it can be used for a
caterpillar or inchworm.
Variation: Same tie but with fluorescent red can be very effective on rainbows. In size 6 on a Mustad 36890, it has taken some large Salmon in NY's Salmon River.
Select Another Fly:
Anatomical Adams (Novelty Fly)
Braided Body Stonefly (With Instructions)
Gray Hackle Peacock Elk Hair Caddis
Infamous Pink Worm (With Instructions)
Return to Fred's Introduction.
Tier: Fred Bridge
Hook: Mustad 79580 #6-#12.
Thread: Black 6/0.
Body: Lead wire over thread base,
overwrapped with yarn and then
silver tinsel over yarn.
Underwing: Yellow marabou.
Wing: Matched mallard flank feathers.
Eyes: Jungle cock.
Hackle: Grizzly.
Notes: Yarn over lead wire provides smooth cigar shape for
wrapping tinsel and helps provide thicker body. Marabou underwing is tied on top of hook to extend just beyond
hook bend. Each Mallard feather is rolled slightly over top of hook shank resulting in tent covering top of hook.
Flank feather should extend 1/2 to 2/3 of shank length beyond bend. A generous daub of head cement is brushed on
flank feathers; then use thumb and first finger to stroke feathers back into a point.
This glues the ends of the
feathers together and makes the fly much more durable.
Select Another Fly:
Anatomical Adams (Novelty Fly)
Braided Body Stonefly (With Instructions)
Gray Hackle Peacock Elk Hair Caddis
Infamous Pink Worm (With Instructions)
Return to Fred's Introduction.
Tier: Fred Bridge
Hook:
Mustad 9671 #12-#16.
Thread: Black.
Tail: Grizzly and brown saddle hackle fibers.
Egg Sac: Fine yellow chenille.
Body: Gray.
Thorax: Same as body.
Wing: Grizzly hen feathers, burned, tied spent wing style on hackle
post.
Hackle: Grizzly and brown.
Notes: The Female Adams was a trademark pattern of the late Russ
Mowry, my brother-in-law, friend, fishing buddy, and a hell of a lot more.
Select Another Fly:
Anatomical Adams (Novelty Fly)
Braided Body Stonefly (With Instructions)
Gray Hackle Peacock Elk Hair Caddis
Infamous Pink Worm (With Instructions)
Return to Fred's Introduction.
Tier: Fred Bridge
Hook:
Mustad AC80250 or Tiemco 2487.
Thread: To match color of body.
Ribbing: Gold wire, optional - see notes.
Body: Antron, twisted or flat - see notes.
Wing: Elk hair or Texas deer, clipped short and slightly
flared.
Notes: Color of elk hair should coordinate with color of body.
Body can be tied in 2 styles. Twist antron with the thread and wrap in tight segments from
bend to tie in point for wing; or wrap antron flat and rib with gold wire.
Special Note: This fly was developed for the Madison River by the late Ross Marigold, a true gentleman and a gentle man. It has fished great in Eastern waters, especially the limestone streams such as Penn's Creek.
Select Another Fly:
Anatomical Adams (Novelty Fly)
Braided Body Stonefly (With Instructions)
Gray Hackle Peacock Elk Hair Caddis
Infamous Pink Worm (With Instructions)
Return to Fred's Introduction.
Tier: Fred Bridge
Tie it on a #16 dry fly hook for trout or a #14 heavy wire hook similar to the Mustad 3906 for steelhead and salmon.
Hook:
#16 dry.
Thread: Red.
Under Body: Orange Glo Bug yarn.
Worm Body: Fluorescent Pink Ultra Chenille.
Notes: Cover shank with thread; tie in worm at rear; dub body; pull worm over under body; tie down and tie off; singe ends with lighter.
Small shot about 8" above worm, size and number to suit water conditions. You want it on or near the bottom. Fish dead drift. Takes usually are gentle as the fish just suck the worm in. If sight fishing, drop worm above to slightly to side of fish and try to stop it on the bottom, near the fish. They will move to pick it up. As good as or better than the Green Weenie and Red Hot for the past two years.
Select Another Fly:
Anatomical Adams (Novelty Fly)
Braided Body Stonefly (With Instructions)
Gray Hackle Peacock Elk Hair Caddis
Infamous Pink Worm (With Instructions)
Return to Fred's Introduction.
Be sure to visit our on-line store at
http://www.flytyingworld.com/angling/index.html
for your tying needs.