My good friend, Truman, aka, “TG”, with whom I have spent a few weekends recently tying flies at my cabin – see this post:
http://donbastianwetflies.wordpress.com/2012/03/11/cabin-weekend-fly-tying-session/ has just today completed the filling of his Wheatley swing-leaf clip wet fly box for our fall trip to the Moosehead Lake Region of Maine. Here are the photos he sent me of his wet fly box:
Going from memory, seriously, I’m not looking any of these patterns up – Top half: Unknown, Yellow Dun, Something (yeah that is the actual name of the fly and not a feigned guess), Roosevelt, Royal Coachman, Allerton, unknown.
Bottom half: Whirling Blue Dun, Alexandra, Fosnot, Emma, Neverwas, Hawthorne, Forsyth. So far not too bad for an old fly tier.
OK, here’s more guessing on my part (It’s after eleven PM and I’m kinda tired); Top half: Rube Wood, Beatrice, King of the Waters, Black Gnat, unknown, Bishop, Rich Widow.
Bottom half: McGinty, Queen of the Waters, White King, Katydid, Trout Fin, Olive Dun, Alder. Edited April 11, 2012: I missed another one…TG told me the one I thought was the Olive Dun is actually the Cowdung.
And the last compartment of Truman’s wet fly box:
All photos by T. G. McMullan. So, 28 different patterns in his box, and yes, I speak truthfully when I say I named these patterns from memory, without looking them up. I am very appreciative of the good old-fashioned friendly support and interest in wet flies, and in my blog. Thanks to your support my blog statistics are continually increasing.
On these 28 patterns; I only missed three…(Actually four – as noted above, the one photo, the Cowdung was erroneously thought by me to be the Olive Dun). As I say, (still) not too bad for an old fly tier. Nice work TG! Now I know that I don’t have to do any tying for “our” trip. 
I can just plan the meals and think about where we’re going to fish…thanks buddy!
i would have titled this post: ‘A Wet Dream’ !
hi Don, what lovely flies. can’t wait to read the stories they will tell us of this trip.
cheers,
marc
Hi Marc;
Very funny! Our trip to Moosehead is not until late September, so hopefully I’ll have enough other adventures before then…but they ought to tell some great stories indeed.
Your comment made me laugh out loud when I read it!
Thanks for your funny comment!
Great looking flies. I also am looking forward to hearing about your trip. I enjoy your work, and love reading your blog. Thank you.
Thank you very much Kelly…as always, I appreciate your support. Do you think I can get TG to gift me some of those flies? Ha, ha!
Since I started fly fishing and tying in the mid-50′s in Southern New York, I have been a fan of the quill wing wet fly. Now that I live in the North Carolina Smokies I still prefer the wet flies. I don’t think that most of our trout here have ever seen a true wet fly. This is a good thing for me.
Ray
Hi Ray;
Thanks for your comment here! I bet for sure most of these patterns would work well for your North Carolina trout! Have a great season!
Donnie … please tell TG that I’m very impressed with his work.
Hi Bill;
You just did! That’s what time in retirement and recuperation from surgery can do for you…thanks for your comment!
I started tying wet flies because of your work…I am a “DON” wantobe!…great job
as always! Looking forward to info about
Your trip…take care..have a good time!
Hi Ralph;
Thanks for the very kind and rewarding comment, if I can inspire others to help keep our heritage of old fly patterns alive, all well and good. Thanks for your encouraging and supportive words…and I better make it clear, folks will have to wait for a report on these flies until October; the trip isn’t planned until September…
Truman, if you are reading this, and I suspect you might be, you did an awesome job on these wet flies! I didn’t make myself clear about that earlier. You should be very proud. These classic wet flies are something that I have planned to get into, but they are on the back burner for right now. I bet these flies will do you proud when you get them on the water.
Kelly
Hi Kelly;
I’ll tell TG to check the comment thread on his wet fly box…I’m sure he’ll appreciate the kind compliments. I’ll have to help him fish them though…
ROTFL…yes, help him out with them. He might even let you borrow a couple, if you ask him real nice.
A stunning collection, and one of which TG should truly be proud. Like Marc said above, can’t wait for the posts to follow! Cheers!
Hi Erin;
Thank you for your comment and compliments on TG’s tying…he’ll appreciate it very much! Thanks!
…a box that any fly fisherman would be proud to own!!
Beautiful stuff!!
Thanks Steve…yes it would be, and I know a few other people who might like to have a box like this. There’s over 200 flies in there… Enough to make any wet fly fisher
!
What a Beautiful display of Craftsmanship by Truman…the poor Fishies don’t have a chance!
But where’s the PARMACHENEE!!…you guys know you need them up here…maybe you have them in your box Don.
Thanks Dave;
TG was very pleased to see all the nice remarks about his box of flies. I don’t know why he didn’t tie up some Parmacheene Belles…I have a few…I’ll need to tie more. Thanks again!
Don, It’s a beautiful set of wets. It the sort of thing you write into your will lol. I still need to clear some space on my desk and try a few again. Sorry that I missed you in Hamilton last weekend, I hope you had a good show in the new venue.
Hi Darren;
I’m sorry too that you couldn’t make it to Hamilton. Thanks for the comment…and I agree it’s a nice set of flies. Over 200 actually, now that a box of flies…Cheers!