Jock Scott

advancedclassicatlantic salmonsalmon flyfully dressedwet flymarried wingtraditionalriver tweed

Description

Tied in 1850 by Jock Scott — gillie to Lord John Scott on the River Tweed — this is among the most celebrated of the fully-dressed Atlantic salmon flies. The body is built in two halves separated by an ostrich-herl butt, finished with the recognizable mixed married wing of dyed swan or goose, peacock wing, bustard substitute, golden pheasant tail, and white-tipped turkey, topped with golden pheasant crest and set off with jungle cock eyes. Originally fished for Atlantic salmon on the Tweed and Spey, it is today tied as much for the bench as the water — but a sparser dressing on a heavy iron will still swing a pool. Pinch or remove the barb on any hook intended for fishing.

Materials

Tying Instructions

1.
Mount a black-japanned salmon hook (sizes 4 to 4/0 for display; 2 to 6 for fishing) in the vise. Lay a smooth black-thread base from the eye to a point opposite the hook point.
2.
Tie in fine oval silver tinsel at the rear and wrap five close turns forward to form the tag, then tie in yellow floss and form two even turns over the front of the silver to complete the tag.
3.
Tie in a golden pheasant crest as the tail, set to curve gently upward. Add a small slip of Indian crow substitute above the crest as a tail veiling.
4.
Form the rear butt with two or three close turns of black ostrich herl, immediately in front of the tail.
5.
For the rear half of the body, tie in yellow floss and wrap forward to form a smooth rear third. Tie in matched yellow toucan substitute slips above and below as veilings — the lower slip set cleanly against the shank, the upper riding the top of the body.
6.
Form a second butt of black ostrich herl in front of the rear body, dividing the two halves cleanly.
7.
For the front half, tie in fine oval silver tinsel for the rib, then tie in black floss and wrap forward to within a hook-eye's length of the eye. Counter-wrap the rib forward in five evenly spaced turns and tie off.
8.
Tie in a black saddle hackle by the tip at the join of the two body halves, and palmer it forward through the front body in turns that align with the rib spacing. Secure at the front and trim the stem.
9.
Form the throat with a sparse bunch of black hen hackle fibers, stroked down and back beneath the shank.
10.
Cut matched left and right strips from each of white-tipped turkey, peacock wing quill, yellow dyed swan or goose, scarlet dyed swan or goose, blue dyed swan or goose, bustard substitute, mottled turkey, and golden pheasant tail. Marry the strips into one composite slip per side, built bottom to top in that order.
11.
Tie in the married wing in two halves, left and right, so the tips meet over the tail and the wing sits low along the back. Use soft thread pressure on the first two wraps to keep the marriage intact, then lock it in.
12.
Top the wing with a golden pheasant crest set to follow the curve of the wing tips.
13.
Set a single jungle cock nail on each side as eyes, stopping short of the wing tip. Add kingfisher substitute cheeks in front of the jungle cock to complete the full dressing.
14.
Build a small, smooth black head with tapered thread wraps and whip finish.
15.
Coat the head with two thin layers of black head lacquer, letting the first dry fully before the second.