Fountains of Youth – Classic trout flies that have withstood the test of time … flies that remain “forever young”
by Rusty Dunn
If the history of fly fishing is viewed with the mirror of time, dry-fly fishing is a relatively new invention, having begun in the mid-1800s. Wet-fly fishing, on the other hand, existed for centuries before that. An important cornerstone of wet-fly angling as we know it today developed quietly in the English north and Scottish south during those centuries. The style spread widely in the mid- to late-1800s, when anglers of the English south learned about and adopted the methods. The English north is strikingly beautiful, with expansive moorlands, dense woodlands, cascading waterfalls, glacially weathered mountains, and verdant rich valleys. It is a land of swift stony-bottomed rivers that are home to ancient brown trout and centuries-old fly-fishing traditions. The area is the birthplace, incubator, and laboratory of what has become known as the “North-Country style” of fishing. Flies and methods of the north have been refined by observant and talented anglers for centuries.
North-Country flies are remarkably simple designs. They are sparsely dressed of silk threads, soft feathers, and natural furs and are usually tied without explicit wings. Their delicate profiles, translucent bodies, and graceful underwater movements of fur and feather amount to little more than a suggestion of a natural insect. A mere hint of imitation, but one that is quite sufficient for trout when offered up by experienced wet-fly anglers.
The earliest indications of a distinct North-Country style are, arguably, evident in certain flies of Charles Cotton, described in The Compleat Angler (1676). Cotton’s flies were winged, but he describes their sparse and delicate dress as being quite unlike the thick heavy flies in common use in the English south. North-Country patterns appear in books and manuscripts through the 1700s, but they received a tremendous surge of attention during the 1800s. Indeed, the mid- to late-1800s was a golden age of the North-Country school. Numerous authors and books contributed to its growth and popularity. Two landmark books published near the turn of the 20th century gathered together dispersed threads of the northern style and presented a thoroughly integrated strategy of wet-fly tying and fishing. Yorkshire Trout Flies (1885) by T.E. Pritt and Brook and River Trouting (1916) by H.H. Edmonds & N.N. Lee describe insects of northern rivers, pattern recipes for their imitation, and angling methods for success. The two books are today’s definitive reference – the Old Testament – of classic North-Country wet flies.
Yorkshire Trout Flies presented pattern recipes but gave little guidance on how the flies are actually tied. Brook and River Trouting remedied that shortfall, as it provided quality photos both of the finished flies and the silks, furs, and feathers with which each is tied. Simplicity of the patterns plus quality photos of the finished flies made their tying understandable even by beginners. Flies described in Brook and River Trouting were not of Edmonds’ or Lee’s design. Rather, they were previously published patterns used widely in the north. Brook and River Trouting integrates accurate entomology with descriptions of insect behaviors, times of emergence, and matching flies. The book emphasizes above all else the importance of knowing the biology of trout and insects:
“A thoughtful fisherman studies the water, its pools, currents and eddies, and … realizes the necessity of a good knowledge of insect life, watercraft and the habitat of the trout, and becomes as intimate with each as an artist is with his colours.”
Edmonds’ and Lee’s minimalist approach to angling is evident in their selection of flies for the book. Rather than being an exhaustive collection of the very large number of existing North-Country flies, it gives recipes of thirty nine flies that are sufficient to catch trout all year long, in varying weather, and in any type of river. Brook and River Trouting demonstrates yet again that accurate presentation of a fly is always more important than precise imitation of a natural insect.
Copyright 2026, Rusty Dunn
Brown Owl
Brook and River Trouting describes the Brown Owl as a caddisfly imitation for late April through June. As with other North-Country flies, the collar of soft hackle imitates both wings and legs of the natural.
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Hook:
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Wet fly, #14
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Thread:
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Pearsall’s Gossamer silk, orange (#6A)
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Wings:
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Hackled with a reddish brown feather from the lesser coverts of a Tawny or Brown Owl’s wing. (Substitute with wing marginal coverts of an English woodcock)
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Body:
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Tying thread
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Head:
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Bronze peacock herl
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Brown Owl
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Last Updated: March 2, 2026 by Drew Kasel
by Rusty Dunn
If the history of fly fishing is viewed with the mirror of time, dry-fly fishing is a relatively new invention, having begun in the mid-1800s. Wet-fly fishing, on the other hand, existed for centuries before that. An important cornerstone of wet-fly angling as we know it today developed quietly in the English north and Scottish south during those centuries. The style spread widely in the mid- to late-1800s, when anglers of the English south learned about and adopted the methods. The English north is strikingly beautiful, with expansive moorlands, dense woodlands, cascading waterfalls, glacially weathered mountains, and verdant rich valleys. It is a land of swift stony-bottomed rivers that are home to ancient brown trout and centuries-old fly-fishing traditions. The area is the birthplace, incubator, and laboratory of what has become known as the “North-Country style” of fishing. Flies and methods of the north have been refined by observant and talented anglers for centuries.
North-Country flies are remarkably simple designs. They are sparsely dressed of silk threads, soft feathers, and natural furs and are usually tied without explicit wings. Their delicate profiles, translucent bodies, and graceful underwater movements of fur and feather amount to little more than a suggestion of a natural insect. A mere hint of imitation, but one that is quite sufficient for trout when offered up by experienced wet-fly anglers.
The earliest indications of a distinct North-Country style are, arguably, evident in certain flies of Charles Cotton, described in The Compleat Angler (1676). Cotton’s flies were winged, but he describes their sparse and delicate dress as being quite unlike the thick heavy flies in common use in the English south. North-Country patterns appear in books and manuscripts through the 1700s, but they received a tremendous surge of attention during the 1800s. Indeed, the mid- to late-1800s was a golden age of the North-Country school. Numerous authors and books contributed to its growth and popularity. Two landmark books published near the turn of the 20th century gathered together dispersed threads of the northern style and presented a thoroughly integrated strategy of wet-fly tying and fishing. Yorkshire Trout Flies (1885) by T.E. Pritt and Brook and River Trouting (1916) by H.H. Edmonds & N.N. Lee describe insects of northern rivers, pattern recipes for their imitation, and angling methods for success. The two books are today’s definitive reference – the Old Testament – of classic North-Country wet flies.
Yorkshire Trout Flies presented pattern recipes but gave little guidance on how the flies are actually tied. Brook and River Trouting remedied that shortfall, as it provided quality photos both of the finished flies and the silks, furs, and feathers with which each is tied. Simplicity of the patterns plus quality photos of the finished flies made their tying understandable even by beginners. Flies described in Brook and River Trouting were not of Edmonds’ or Lee’s design. Rather, they were previously published patterns used widely in the north. Brook and River Trouting integrates accurate entomology with descriptions of insect behaviors, times of emergence, and matching flies. The book emphasizes above all else the importance of knowing the biology of trout and insects:
“A thoughtful fisherman studies the water, its pools, currents and eddies, and … realizes the necessity of a good knowledge of insect life, watercraft and the habitat of the trout, and becomes as intimate with each as an artist is with his colours.”
Edmonds’ and Lee’s minimalist approach to angling is evident in their selection of flies for the book. Rather than being an exhaustive collection of the very large number of existing North-Country flies, it gives recipes of thirty nine flies that are sufficient to catch trout all year long, in varying weather, and in any type of river. Brook and River Trouting demonstrates yet again that accurate presentation of a fly is always more important than precise imitation of a natural insect.
Copyright 2026, Rusty Dunn
Brown Owl
Brook and River Trouting describes the Brown Owl as a caddisfly imitation for late April through June. As with other North-Country flies, the collar of soft hackle imitates both wings and legs of the natural.
Hook:
Wet fly, #14
Thread:
Pearsall’s Gossamer silk, orange (#6A)
Wings:
Hackled with a reddish brown feather from the lesser coverts of a Tawny or Brown Owl’s wing. (Substitute with wing marginal coverts of an English woodcock)
Body:
Tying thread
Head:
Bronze peacock herl
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Category: Fly Tying, Rusty Dunn Fountains of Youth
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