Farlow dry fly series 1910
The notion that dry fly fishing for salmon originated solely as a North American pursuit is a common belief perpetuated in the literature on salmon fishing. However, recent findings suggest this narrative may not encompass the entire truth. The first documented instance of salmon dry fly fishing and specifically designed flies dates back to a Farlow catalogue from 1909.
In this catalogue, a gentleman named Mr. Major J.R. Fraser recounts his experiences with dry fly fishing for Atlantic salmon to the British angling community. These revelations were brought to light by Mr. Perry Munro, an angler from Nova Scotia, who possesses a 1910 Farlow catalogue containing this information. Farlow published Mr Fraser’s story and manufactured a series of flies tailored for dry fly salmon fishing for a decade.
This historical account sheds light on Mr Fraser’s observation that summer salmon exhibit a keen interest in surface flies—a departure from the orthodox method of salmon fly fishing during that era, which typically involved using a sunken line. Such a revolutionary approach was further explored and championed by Mr. A.H. Wood more than a decade later.
Farlow dry fly series 1910
The text from the Farlow catalog
