The Stunner
Frederic Tolfrey’s Jones’s Guide to Norway from 1848 is perhaps the most sought after book for salmon fly tyers collecting 1st editions of the classics. Not least because the book has some of the most beautiful fly plates by the Adlard brothers. You can expect to pay 5000-7000$ for a good copy when you find one. There are re-prints that you can get for much less and of course free pdf on archive.org.
This fly is also one that I tied in hand without a vice as the originals were made. I was fortunate to find such thin tippet feathers for the wing to give it a low profile that I like. Almost always I tie tippets full length from the very base so that I get a bit slimmer profile. When done correctly with a good base you don’t have to do those exaggerated Z-bends many tiers do today on their display flies. Most of my flies that are meant for display I try to do as I would do a fishing fly and those Z-bends will straighten when the fly wets thoroughly. So I doubt they were tied like that originally so why do it now?
Here’s the pattern straight from the book.
The Stunner
Hook: No. 7,8 or 9
Tail: Golden Pheasant Topping
Tip: Silver twist and Crimson silk
Body: Pale blue, yellow, claret and dark blue Pig’s wool at the shoulder.
Legs: Claret hackle
Throat: Guinea-hen and blue Hackle.
Ribbed: Gold Tinsel and silver Twist.
Wing: Two Golden Tippets, a little Bustard, and two golden Toppings over all.
Horns: Blue Macaw
Head: Yellow Mohair
