FLY
Classic Wet Fly
Governor
Tied by Christian Andrews
Governor recipe
| Hook | #10 sprout, or size to suit |
|---|---|
| Thread | red |
| Tag | red silk |
| Body | peacock herl |
| Wings | wild turkey tail slips |
| Hackle | soft brown rooster |
About this fly
from Famous Flies and Their Histories (1892) by Mary Orvis Marbury
What the Governor imitates
- Fancy / attractor (imitates nothing specific)
Where the Governor came from
- Described by John Kirkbride, 1837. Earliest vault record of a 'Governor Fly' dressing.Source: Kirkbride, The Northern Angler (1837)
- Described by T. C. Hofland, Hampshire, England. Hofland's manual gives the Governor as a Hampshire fly but says he cannot speak of it from his own experience.Source: Hofland, The British Angler's Manual (Jesse edition in vault), p.227
- Originated by T. C. Hofland, south of England. Claims Hofland created the Governor as a beetle imitation in the 1830s; conflicts with Hofland's own disclaimer of experience with it.Source: Governor Fly (Fish4Flies)
- Originated by unknown, south of England. Original supposedly a small beetle imitation, first popular in southern England; Americans added a red silk tip in place of yellow/orange.Source: Marbury, Favorite Flies and Their Histories (1892), p.297
Where sources tell it differently, each account is listed with its own source.
In the old books
Original dressing as pictured in Marbury, Favorite Flies and Their Histories (1892), Plate Q, No. 144. The photo above is a later tie, not the original.
Inside the vault every material on this fly opens to its own card, and you can save the fly to your own boxes.
