The Fort Wayne Bucktail

The Fort Wayne Bucktail

 As a native Hoosier with strong ties to the Fort Wayne area, I was excited to see the Fort Wayne Bucktail listed in an old fishing book. It took a little detective work to find a recipe for the fly, and was next to impossible to find any photographs or diagrams of it.

I tie a lot of flies, both for our personal use as well as for clients. There is no doubt that woolly buggers and muddler minnows lose their allure for the tier after a few dozen, so I like to look for side projects like this one for a little break.

A sleek and colorful fly, perfect for bass.

My research credits the Fort Wayne Bucktail to Mr. John P. Hance of Fort Wayne, Indiana, around the year 1886. Even lacking the notoriety more celebrated patterns, I would say that the age of this fly alone could qualify it as a classic.

The multi-colored tail is a distinguishing characteristic of many nineteenth-century attractor flies. Notice also the lack of any hackle, beard or belly.

The recipe that I found online was credited to a book called Fly Patterns and Their Origins by Harold H. Smedley. The book is long out of print, but I discovered some used copies available through online retailers. Here is the dressing:

Fort Wayne Bucktail

Body: Orange
Rib: Gold
Tail: Red, yellow and wood duck
Wing: Large lock of deer hair beyond the tail

As you can see, this is a pretty basic recipe that affords the tier a lot of latitude. This is part of the fun of old fishing books; they are full of descriptions, dressings and techniques, but lack any of the excellent color photography that we are now accustomed to. Thumbing through these books allows us to discover hidden treasures like the Fort Wayne Bucktail, as well as exploring the origins of flies that are still used today.

The Fort Wayne Bucktail is a link to the past, as well as a viable streamer pattern that can be used today.

I hope you enjoy this little article. If you have any old flies you would like to share, feel free to do so in the comments or you may email me. Tight lines!

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