"First" always means "first to write, or be written, about." I don't believe fly fishing has had much of an oral history except perhaps in middle Europe where it is believed that fly fishing existed long before its appearance in western Europe.
first dry fly - likely the Macedonians as they tied a feather on a hook to imitate a natural fly being taken on the surface. "Dry" flies have been around "forever" so the usual historical question is "who began tying flies intended to be CAST UPSTREAM and floated to a feeding fish?" It's the problem of "casting a (FLOATING) line" as opposed to say "dapping" that moves the debate to "modern" times. There are quotations from 18th century works that suggest this method but imagine how hard it would be to fish a short line tied onto the end of your rod. first hair wing - records exist of Native Americans using strips of fur lashed to hooks. These might be also be considered the first streamers. I have a record of an Indian Streamer in a circa 1840 book. It was created by a Mi'kmaq living in the Shubenacadie area of Nova Scotia. The first hairwings are often credited to guests at the Trude ranch (circa 1910), but this is very unlikely, even if you don't like the strips as wings. I'll check later, but I believe I found mention of a hairwing (hair cut and attached as a clump) fly in Marbury. spin deer hair - apparently a much later development, likely the early '30's. Almost certainly a North American innovation; Marbury (1890) shows no flies of this type, nor do any of my salmon fly books prior to the '40's. Schwiebert states Darbee but Messenger (Irresistible) also laid claim. My best info would suggest Darbee's Bastard series circa 1934, BUT, he (Darbee) suggests that these are an amalgam of bass and trout flies, therefore, it suggests that hair-spinning for bass flies preceded his patterns. If anyone has other references I'd be very interested. wind a hackle collar - ancient likely, but certainly medieval. cheers Paul DonO wrote: Who tied the first 'dry fly' ?- intentionally to stay afloat. Who tied the first hair-wing flies? Who tied the first streamer fly? Who was the first to spin deer hair? Who was the first to wind a hackle collar? -- Paul Marriner Outdoor Writing & Photography. Owner: Gale's End Press. Member: OWAA & OWC. Author of: A Compendium of Canadian Fly Patterns (co-author), Stillwater Fly Fishing: Tools & Tactics, How to Choose & Use Fly-tying Thread, Modern Atlantic Salmon Flies, Miramichi River Journal, Ausable River Journal, and Atlantic Salmon.
