Just so you all don’t think I’ve lost my marbles and turned this blog into Wild Kingdom – Cogan Station, with all the recent deer sightings and fawn births, I am posting the Don’s Delight, a Carrie Stevens pattern, as promised, “before too long,” from a few days ago when I posted the Don’s Special.
The Don’s Special was one of three streamer patterns that Carrie G. Stevens, of Upper Dam, Maine, created for George Donald Bartlett. Don Bartlett first visited Upper Dam in 1909 at the age of nine. He made annual trips there for thirty-six consecutive years until his untimely death in 1945 at the young age of forty-five. Don was from Willimantic, Connecticut, as were a couple other notable Carrie Stevens friends, customers, and guide clients of her husband, Wallace. These included Frank Bugbee, for whom Carrie never created a fly, but it was he who thought of the name, Gray Ghost, for Mrs. Stevens most famous fly, indeed, the most famous streamer ever created, bar none. The third individual was Alfred “Allie” French, for whom Carrie created the Allie’s Delight and Allie’s Favorite.
I mentioned not too long ago that among thirty-five Rangeley style streamer patterns I have recently created, one of my patterns, designed in honor of Frank Bugbee, is called Bugbee’s Ghost. I promise to tie Bugbee’s Ghost and get it on here “before too long.” As part of that collection, I have also tied my original patterns – Carrie’s Ghost and Carrie’s Killer. They have been sitting here for weeks, patiently waiting for their photo shoot.
On to the Don’s Delight:
Don’s Delight – hook is a size #1 – 8x long, Gaelic Supreme Martinek / Stevens Rangeley Style streamer. Tied and photographed by Don Bastian.
Two card-mounted Don’s Delight streamers. Tied and photographed by Don Bastian.
Don’s Delight – size #1 – 8x long, tied and photographed by Don Bastian.
Don’s Delight
Thread: Black or white Danville 3/0 Monocord or Uni-Thread 3/0, for under body build up on larger hook sizes, 6/0 can be used on smaller hooks
Hook: Any standard long-shank streamer hook, sizes #1 to #8, 6x to 10x long.
Tag: Flat silver tinsel
Tail: Red hackle fibers
Body: Flat silver tinsel
Throat: White hackle fibers
Wing: Four white hackles
Shoulder: Golden pheasant tippet
Cheek: Jungle cock
Head: Black with a red band, finished with Danville #100 Black and #56 Red Flymaster 6/0
The Don’s Delight, as a predominantly white streamer pattern, is an effective baitfish imitating fishing fly.
This photo presents the trio of patterns Carrie Stevens created for Donald Bartlett: Top to bottom: G. Donald Bartlett – #2 – 8x, Don’s Delight – #1 8x, and Don’s Special – #2 – 8x. Tied and photographed by Don Bastian.
Beautiful flies Don. I am gonna have to try some of these patterns. I don’t have colored grizzly. But I do have the right materials for the Don’s Delight. I am on a spider kick still though. Lovely flies Don, all of them.
Thank you for your comments Kelly! Glad you like the flies! The Don’s Special uses natural grizzly, along with gray and blue in the wing. You could do that one, no?