The Black Dose, a Classic British Salmon Fly

One of the first salmon flies I had any luck with was a pattern called the Black Dose. My guide had tied one on for me while I was fishing a South Coast Newfoundland river. I was a beginner and game for anything so when a grilse grabbed the fly I was convinced I had the best guide on the South Coast. From that point on I did, to the best of my limited ability and without question, anything the guide suggested.



It was not until later in the day that he confessed the fly was given to him by a sport from the Miramichi country of New Brunswick.

Not only had he never tried it, he was dubious if it would even work here on the Grandees. Since I had tried everything else he could think of without hooking up he figured,

” What the Heck, give’r a flick.”

The Black Dose is a classic British pattern. Here is the traditional recipe. You will soon understand why Salmon Anglers everywhere so eagerly embraced hair-wing patterns.

The Black Dose:
Tag – fine silver tinsel thread and orange silk floss
Tail – a short golden pheasant crest with strip of barred teal and scarlet ibis married
Body – approximately one-third near tail light blue dyed seal fur, remainder black seal fur
Ribbed – entire length with silver oval tinsel and palmered with black hackle
Hackle – light claret, sparse
Under wing – two golden pheasant tippets veiled with barred teal, barred wood duck, golden pheasant tail, peacock sword, scarlet ibis and green parrot
Wing - brown barred mallard with golden pheasant crest topping
Cheek – blue chatterer
Horns - blue and yellow macaw
Head – lacquered black


So rare and valuable were some of the ingredients in the classic feather-wing patterns that an apprentice fly tyer of the British Isles was usually only allowed to work on salmon flies in the fourth year of a four-year apprenticeship.

Compare that extravaganza to this picture of the hair-wing version. The average fly-tyer only needs a sample or a picture to create a reasonable facsimile.

The classic feather-wing pattern photo comes from this extraordinary website by Doctor Andrew N. Herd.
The photo of the hair-wing version comes from this website and was tied by Michael O’Connor.