Nessmuk's Fly Collection ~ For The Northern Wilderness

Having trouble finding the perfect gift for that sportsman in your life that seemingly has everything? Well, I promise they don't have this!

Once again, inspired by our namesake, we have worked for months to develop this special collection of flies from the lists recommended by Nessmuk himself. The following passage is where he not only bemoans a problem we all have, but gives his final solution in keeping his fly collection minimalist, to fit with the rest of his gear.

“We all carry too many flies. Some of my friends have more than sixty dozen, and will never use a tenth of them. In the summer of '88, finding I had more than seemed needful, I left all but four dozen behind me. I wet only fifteen of them in a seven weeks' outing. And they filled the bill. I have no time or space for a dissertation on the hundreds of different flies made and sold at the present day. Abler pens have done that. I will, however, name a few that I have found good in widely different localities, i.e., the Northern Wilderness of New York and the upper waters of Northern Pennsylvania. For the Northern Wilderness: Scarlet ibis, split ibis, Romeyn, white-winged coachman, royal coachman, red hackle, red-bodied ashy and gray-bodied ashy. The ashies were good for black bass also. For Northern Pennsylvania: Queen of the waters, professor, red fox, coachman, black may, white-winged coachman, wasp, brown hackle, Seth Green. Ibis flies are worthless here. Using the dark flies in bright water and clear weather, and the brighter colors for evening, the list was long enough.” ~Nessmuk

Not satisfied to simply produce modern versions of his recommendations, we sought out original patterns for our flies, used period correct upturned eye hooks, real silk, wool, metal tinsel and wire, and even feathers to an extent allowed by law.

Each collection is nestled into a fly wallet that was designed off of extant wallets from the period at which Nessmuk was writing.

The Northern Pennsylvania Collection is housed in a small hand stitched oil-tanned wallet lined with real lambskin. It contains one each of the following flies: Queen of the waters, professor, red fox, coachman, black may, white-winged coachman, wasp, brown hackle, Seth Green.

The Northern Wilderness Collection is in a larger hand stitched wallet that sports a real lambskin pad on one side, a flat sleeve for leaders on the other and a real wool felt page to store your own favorites alongside Nessmuk’s. It contains one each of the following flies: Scarlet ibis, split ibis, Romeyn, white-winged coachman, royal coachman, red hackle, red-bodied ashy and gray-bodied ashy.