Lady Florence; The Infamous Maiden

A fly that seem to be pretty unknown among the fly tying community today is the Lady Florence, and to be quite honest this pattern was not known to me before the February of 2018 when it had a short blast on social medias among a few respected participants of the art of classic salmon fly tying. This was a train I just had to jump on, the pattern just looked too damn good to just let go. And before I knew it I had a Mustad 80500NPBL in size 6/0 in my vise, and had all the materials laid out before me. Yet, I've never seen the material list anywhere.

A fly with the name of Lady Florence is mentioned in a piece of literature called "Salmon rivers of Scotland", a book from a man named Augustus Grimble that was first published in the year 1900, and there might also be a reference to this peculiar fly in the writings of Farlows. These are all just references of the name, but no pattern was ever listed as far as I'm aware.

I can't say for sure that this following pattern is the actual dressing of the fly. If anyone can however; I would be much interested in this knowledge! But, for now I will list a pattern based strictly upon images of other peoples take on this fly, and also the way that I tied it.

Lady Florence

Tail: A red rump feather from a Golden Pheasant Body: First half of yellow seals fur ribbed with a double oval silver tinsel; a joint of yellow or a sunburst-yellow hackle. Front half of black sealsfur ribbed with flat silver tinsel, (or it could be a broad oval tinsel) Throat: Black heron spey hackle under Guienafowl/gallina Wing: Broad slips of bronze mallard (maybe double slips) over an underwing of Golden Pheasant rumpfeathers

It seem to be a more red'ish variation on the most common Akroyd salmon fly; body of yellow and black, black heron spey hackle, and a brown wing. Although Akroyd and Lady Florence have pretty different wings, they would make similar effects in the water. However, the red Golden Pheasant rumpfeathers in the underwing of the Lady Florence would make a significant difference, both in color and how the wing would act or swim in the water. Therefore I believe this rather unknown pattern is well worth a try. Maybe this is the missing link between the Akroyd and the Jock Scott..? All it really needs is a bit of blue and it would pretty much be a Jock Scott; if you see it from a salmons point of view.

The Akroyd, maybe the most famous among the classic Dee flies.

Lady Florence, a pretty fly with a pretty name. And maybe a missing link between two of the most famous classic salmon flies..?

Jock Scott; the king of all salmon flies. The wing in this fly will compressed to about half the height after being fished, and would take up a shape not to far from the Lady Florence, and besides the blue in the main wing and the cheeks it's pretty much the same as the Lady Florence; yellow, red and a whole lotta brown'ish speckled stuff... The spey hackle however has just become a black rooster hackle over the front half of the body.

Establishing the true facts:For the time-period that the Lady Florence seem to be mentioned in the literary works, it does not make it very plausible that it was ever a missing link between the Akroyd and the Jock Scott timewise; the Jock Scott came to be around the late 1840's and the Akroyd seem to not be listed until several years after this; maybe even as late as the 1880's. And the Lady Florence didn't seem to arise until the turn of the century.

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All photos are taken by me and shall not be used without permission.