The Conover

The Dette’s tied this fly, the Conover, for the Brooklyn Fly Fishing Club member Scotty Conover back in the 1930's. The story goes that Dette’s weren’t allowed to tie for anyone else than him.

Mike Valla adds:

"I know in June 1972 I was fishing Conovers on Beaverkill---during that wonderful season I stayed with Dettes for over a month (that was my high school graduation present from them---check my "Tying Catskill Style Dry Flies" book for that Conover story (page 18). That's one of my favorite stories.

I caught that big brown trout at the tail of Barnhart's Pool, on BkilL, on a Conover. Landed it down at Hendricksons, with a crowd watching and applauding. All but Ernie Maltz---who yelled at me for not having a landing net. Then he yelled at me for fishing a 7ft Leonard (given to me by a Leonard dealer, also as a graduation present) who I figured had one too many glasses of Scotch)--rod much too short for that river. Anyway, I'm sure I tied the Conover myself. They way Walt explained it to Leiser ('The Dettes - A Catskill Legend', page 56) was once Scotty couldn't wade the river well any longer, he relaxed things--Dettes were allowed to sell them."

Wemoc Adams

Mike Valla's books are fabulous, especially about everything about the Catskill style tying. I think I got all of his books.

He also came up with this fly called the Wemoc Adams.

Mike tells about this fly:

"There are probably only 3  flies I've ever attached a name to myself. But this is one of them, and is one of my favorites--The Wemoc Adams. It was first fished around Buck Eddy, on the Willowemoc, one morning--having tied it the evening before--just tooling around.

Presented in print, only as an image, it didn't get  much info attached to it there. Guys have since asked me about the fly, and one chap in Oregon reported great success with it on his home waters. I guess he really likes it.

It is, of course, just a slight variation of the regular old Adams.  From time to time guys were using Cree as what Eric Leiser once called "Instant Adams" hackle--since it could in some ways substitute for mixing Brown and Grizzly hackle (albeit slightly lighter in shade). But since a Cree was involved, in my mind (as still a younger lad--in around late 70'--and with a decade of tying experience under my belt--I thought that's what tiers have to do--name a fly here and there, and from time to time). But in that regard I never wanted to make claim to some sort of brand new fly, or concept. And I don't now. But when one is younger, that sort of thing runs through the mind.

The pattern is tied with grey dun underfur of Red Fox, and ribbed with wire. Introducing wire kept my regular Adams' from fraying apart--at least that was my thought. And using Cree sure made it an easy tie.  In that it did not call for dubbing of Muskrat, (or Mole fur as per Elsie Darbee)--but rather Fox. And that this pattern called for Cree, and gold wire ribbing---I gave it a new name--but connected it with the Adams.  So, there you have it..."