The Yellow Anthony
Here’s a neat little pattern from Francis Francis’s A Book on Angling where it’s recommended for the river Lee in Cork, Ireland. Unfortunately the river today isn’t in all of its former glory because it has been dammed for a hydro-electric scheme although you can still catch salmon in the lower parts.
Here’s what Francis Francis had to say about it back then:
“The Lee is in parts rather a quiet placid river ; in many places, however, it breaks out into fine bold pools and streams, which form the very beau-ideal of the angler. It is not a very early river, though occasionally giving a spring fish or two to the persevering angler ; but it gives capital sport later on. In parts it is a good deal cross lined”
He also notes that Blacker tied many of the patterns with joint-hackles but in his opinion they do not add to the attractiveness of the fly and are too much trouble to tie. The patterns he lists for the river Lee he had bought from a local dealer, Hackett of Cork.
I really like the colors of this pattern and it’s very simple to tie and doesn’t require much of hard to find materials. It’s also nicely suited for smaller hooks as the ones pictured. The pattern calls for a butt made from a scrap of yellow mohair. I chose to incorporate the mohair as the first section of the body but brushed it out heavily to make sort of a hackle near the bend.
The Yellow Anthony
Tag: Silver twist.
Tail: A topping
Butt: A scrap of yellow mohair
Rib: Fine silver twist
Bodyhackle: Silver grey dun
Body: Bluish silver grey wool or fur
Hackle: Dirty yellow
Wing: A bit of Peacock with Mallard over it
Horns: Blue Macaw
Head: Black
