The Greenwell's Glory is without doubt one of my favourite flies. Its sheer simplicity and delicacy makes it, for me, and aesthetic delight. Not only does it look good but it takes fish prolifically in the right circumstances. It's also an extremely versatile pattern which, with a simple change of hook size, silk colour and variation in wax can successfully suggest virtually any Ephemerid you would care to mention.
The following note on its history is taken verbatim from A. Courtney Williams “TROUT FLIES, A Discussion and a dictionary (1932).
The following account of how the Greenwell’s Glory was invented in 1854 is part of a letter written by Canon Greenwell in 1917 to his friend, Sir Herbert Maxwell, and appeared some years ago in The Fishing Gazette..
“I think you will like to know how Greenwell’s Glory came into existence. I was fishing one day in May when the water was alive with the March Brown. The fish were not rising to the March Brown, but at another fly which I did not remember ever to have noticed before. I caught some of them, and came to the conclusion that the best imitation would be the inside of a black bird’s wing, with a body of red and black hackle, tied with yellow silk.
On returning home I went to James Wright’s house and told him to dress me a dozen flies of the pattern I have mentioned. Next day I had as fine a day’s sport as I ever remember, and going, on my return, to James Wright, he asked me what success I had had. I told him I had filled my creel. ‘Why’, he said, ‘but your creel holds 32 lb.’ ‘yes,’ I said, ‘but I have got my pockets full as well.’ ‘Wonderful’ he said, ‘with March Brown, no doubt.’ ‘No,’ I said, ‘almost all on the new fly. Dress me another dozen for to-morrow.’
Next day I had nearly as good sport. On going to his house to tell him of it, he said, ‘We must christen it’ ‘Well,’ I said, ‘Jimmy, that means whisky,’ to which he replied, ‘You cannot christen without liquid’. I said, ‘As soon as I get home I will send you the whisky and after I have had my dinner, I will come down and we will have it christened’. Knowing that there were sure to be a number of people gathered at his house I sent down an ample supply. When I got down I found fourteen or sixteen assembled, with the schoolmaster at the head. Mr. Brown then said, ‘We have the punch brewed and you must name the fly’. . . . ‘Then,’ said Mr. Brown, ‘are you all charged? Then success to Greenwell’s Glory!’
That is the story of the fly and how it got its name, and I think you will say it is not a bad tale.” James Wright was the celebrated Sprouston fly tier, who invented many of the most famous salmon flies, including Silver Doctor, Durham Ranger, Black Doctor and Silver Grey.
The Canon’s own dressing of his fly is as follows: Blackbird wing, Coch-y-bondhu hackle tied with yellow silk. In a letter to a correspondent, he said, “Gold thread can be added if wished”.
The original may have looked
something like this..
I'm afraid the wing is starling and the snell is fluoro.
What is less well known is that the exact same pattern was given in E.M. Tod’s “Wet Fly Fishing” and attributed to a Mr. Mark Aitken another Tweed man who was contemporary with the likes of T.T. Stoddart and J. Younger. It may have been that Mr. Wright was tying an older, known pattern when he fulfilled the Canon’s commission.
Other Aitken patterns can be found in Tod’s book or in W. H. Lawrie’s “Scottish Trout Flies” (1966).
Here's a well known Greenwell's variant, the Yellow Tailed Greenwells. I've tied as we used to see them years ago with a Pearsalls "Stout floss" tail and a heavy wing. Originally a Leven pattern I believe, it's fame and usage certainly extended to Ayrshire at the very least.
This one's my own little variant and a personal favourite..
Dark Greenwell's
Hook: #12-14 wet.
Tail: Furnace or coch-y-bonddu cock hackle fibres.
Body: Pearsalls Gossamer silk, golden olive (shade 11), well waxed with cobblers wax.
Rib: Gold wire, fine, closely ribbed.
Hackle: Furnace hen dyed brown olive. Two full turns.
Wing: Starling primary or secondary, paired. Tied slim, set high.
Over to you now lads, let's see your secret variants.
The Classics: Greenwell's Glory.
Linear Mode
