Atherton No 5
Fly of the Month 11.24 Atherton Dry Fly
Successful flies should “match the hatch” or imitate the natural foods of fish, if we go along with
some modern fly fishing theory. Should we replicate every aspect of size, shape, color and
texture down to minute detail? Or, should we just slap some fur and feathers on a hook and
approximate? Anglers through the centuries have concluded that flies need not replicate all
details of a natural to be effective. Rather, an approximation of size, silhouette, color, and
behavior is sufficient to fool a trout or any other fish.
John Atherton (1900 – 1952) was an artist by trade and incorporated his impressionistic art into
the flies he tied as well as an angling author of the mid-20th century, who was perhaps the most
eloquent and thoughtful advocate of impressionistic fly design. Impressionistic flies are
perceived by fish as naturals, even though a close examination shows them to be only rough
approximations of the real deal.
Atherton’s insightful 1951 book The Fly and the Fish elaborates principles of fly design. He
was a professional artist whose paintings in the style of “magic realism” drew worldwide
acclaim. Atherton brought an accomplished artist’s understanding of important features, light,
color, and visual perception to the design of flies.
He advocated the use of mixed colors blended to achieve a desired tone as well as more vibrance
and a lifelike appearance. Atherton understood reflection, refraction, and color absorption
underwater, and the affect on the appearance of a natural or artificial. He described the effects of
wind and wave on perception and illumination, broken by frequent movements of the wings and
legs.”
Interestingly, he didn’t name the flies, choosing instead to number his flies from 1 to 7,
representing lighter to darker shades of mayflies. He provides eighteen (23) dry flies following
his light to dark themes. For example, there were three (4) No. 1 - No. 5, each of his invention, a
similar standard dry fly pattern, a similar variant version and a spider or hackle fly:
Atherton No. 1 Dry Fly, Light Cahill, Cream or Honey Variant, Badger Spider
Atherton No. 2 Dry Fly, Light Hendrickson or Hendrickson, Tups Variant, Badger & Red Spider
Atherton No. 3 Dry Fly, Quill Gordon, <no name> Variant, Grizzly & Red Spider
Atherton No. 4 Dry Fly, [American] March Brown, <no name> Variant, Furnace Spider
Atherton No. 5 Dry Fly, Adams, <no name> Variant, Furnace Hackle Yellow Spider
Atherton No. 6 Dry Fly, Gray Wulff
Atherton No. 7 Dry Fly
His flies were created with “the appearance of life” as a central theme for the flies he developed
to replicate colors and tones, textures, and light reflections combined in natural insects. Taking a
closer look at the flies and you’ll see the mixture of materials making the body and a round
tinsel. For hackle, Atherton used mixtures of cree or brown, dun, and ginger mixed with grizzly
to create the life-life image of the real insect. For a wing, he liked wood duck because of the
“speckled look” created lifelike appearance. Several of the bodies utilize seal fur blended with
other materials for an added sparkle.
Most of his patterns imitate mayflies, although he did not relate specific insects to his flies.
Atherton also created wet flies and nymphs with the same naming convention and
impressionistic characteristics.
Reference: Mike Valla’s book, The Founding Flies, dedicates a chapter to John Atherton.
Reference: Atherton’s book, The Fly and the Fish, 1951, reissued in 2016.
More information about John Atherton is on Robert Smith’s John Atherton Dry Flies post on his
website, The Sliding Stream. Smith is the author of an excellent book about the history of soft
hackles, The North Country Fly: Yorkshire’s Soft Hackle Tradition may be purchased from The
Rogue Anglers website.
Fly of the Month 11.24 - Atherton Dry Fly (series)
Atherton No. 1 Dry Fly
Hook: Daiichi 1180 or standard dry, barbless
Size: 12, 14, 16
Thread: (not given) 6/0 Tan
Tail: Pale dun hackle barbules
Body: Very pale cream fox-belly fur
Rib: Narrow oval gold tinsel
Wing: Light, glassy dun hackle points (tips)
Hackle: Very light cree or pale ginger & 1 light grizzly, mixed
Note: Hackle used on fly were Hebert Miner medium ginger and light tan grizzly variant.
The hackle of the Atherton No. 1 are all mixed colors to create a life-like fly imitating the real
insects.
Atherton No. 2 Dry Fly
Hook: Daiichi 1180 or standard dry, barbless
Size: 12, 14, 16
Thread: (not given) 6/0 Tan
Tail: Light brassy or rusty dun hackle barbules or
light ginger barbules & light dun barbules, mixed
Body: Light buff or pale tan fox-belly fur mixed
with natural seal’s fur & a small amount of hare’s ear
Rib: Narrow oval tinsel, gold
Wing: Wood duck, light
Hackle: 1 light dun hackle & 1 medium dun hackle
Atherton No. 3 Dry Fly
Hook: Daiichi 1180 or standard dry, barbless
Size: 12, 14, 16
Thread: (not given) 6/0 Gray
Tail: Medium cree hackle barbules or ginger barbules
& grizzly barbules, mixed
Body: Seal fur blended with bright yellow seal fur,
fox-belly fur dyed yellow, or dyed mohair
Rib: Narrow oval gold tinsel
Wing: Wood duck or medium dun hackle points (tips)
Hackle: Light rusty dun or 1 ginger & 1 medium dun, mixed
Note: Use a medium cree tail, seal and dyed yellow seal for the body, with Hebert Miner Rusty
Natural Dun and Collins Hackle Barred Ginger mixed for the hackle.
The tail, body, and hackle of the Atherton No. 3 are all mixed colors to create a life-like fly
imitating the real insects.
Atherton No. 4 Dry Fly
Hook: Daiichi 1180 or standard dry, barbless
Size: 12, 14, 16
Thread: (not given) 6/0 Tan
Tail: Cree hackle barbs or ginger barbules
& grizzly barbules, mixed
Wing: Wood duck.
Body: Natural seal fur mixed with dyed red seal,
small amount each of hare's ear & muskrat fur.
Rib: Narrow oval gold tinsel.
Hackle: Medium dun and Cree mixed.
Note:
The hackle of the Atherton No. 4 are mixed medium dun and Cree to create a life-like fly
imitating the real insects. The body is a blend of natural seal fur mixed with dyed red seal, small
amount each of hare’s ear and muskrat fur. This fly will approximate certain pinkish-bodied
naturals, and is even useful for some of the spinners with pink or reddish ‘bodies.
Atherton No. 5 Dry Fly
Hook: Daiichi 1180 or standard dry, barbless
Size: 10, 12, 14, 16, 18
Thread: (not given) 6/0 Gray, Semperfli, waxed
Tail: Whiting Farms Hebert Miner rooster Cree hackle barbules
Body: Hare’s ear body (use the short speckled hairs on the
ear & the pink tannish hair at the base of the ears.
It should have a decided mixed “buggy” look’)
Rib: Narrow oval gold tinsel
Wing: Wood duck
Hackle: Whiting Farms Hebert Miner rooster Cree hackle
Note: A beautiful UK March Brown Rhithrogena germanica imitation.
In John Atherton’s own words, Atherton No. 5 is ‘the most generally useful of the group’,
however, the whole range are beautiful in design.
Atherton No. 6 Dry Fly
Hook: Daiichi 1180 or standard dry, barbless
Size: 12, 14, 16, 18
Thread: (not given) 6/0 Dark brown
Tail: Dark rusty dun hackle barbules
Body: Dark muskrat or mole & some red-brown seal’s fur, mixed
Wing: Bali duck side feathers or bronze mallard or dark mandarin
Hackle: Natural rusty dun or fairly dark natural dun
& 1 red brown hackle, mixed
Note: Body should be a brownish gray color, rather dark.
Atherton No. 7 Dry Fly
Hook: Daiichi 1180 or standard dry, barbless
Size: 18, 20, 22
Thread: (not given) 8/0 Black
Tail: Very dark dun or black hackle barbules
Body: (optional) Very dark. Black tying silk, small, short
Wing: None
Hackle: Very dark dun or black, normal or oversized
Tied as a standard dry fly or a variant. This fly is designed for use when trout are feeding on
midges or very small flies, as so often occurs on the “flats” during the evening.
Directions:
1) Debarb and mount the hook.Start the thread two or three eye lengths back from the eye. Wrap tight wraps to the hook bend above the barb and let the bobbin hang. Select a lemon wood duck feather and stroke the tips forward for alignment. Secure on top of the hook shank with the darker side of the hackle facing the hook eye and continue with several wraps toward the bend. Advance the thread to in front of the trapped feather and pull along the hook shaft pulling the barbs upright. Check the length and if satisfactory return the thread to behind the hackle tips. Make several turns toward the bend to secure the hackle and trim any waste. Bring the thread back to in front of the hackle in tight touching turns. Using a thumbnail, split the hackle into two even portions. Take the thread through the space between the hackle gathers and make a turn between to begin securing their position. Make two or three turns in an "x" to divide the hackle securely. With the thread behind the hackle wrap the base of the far side with two wraps making a firm bundle. Repeat on the side closest and begin the tail tie in. Let the bobbin hang.
2) Select six or eight tail fibers and secure on top of the hook immediately where the wood duck is trimmed. Length should be the length of the hook shank. Secure with thread wraps and trim waste. Let the bobbin hang.
3) Select a two inch length of oval tinsel and tie in immediately behind the wood duck and make turns of thread trapping the oval against the side of the hook shank back to the bend. Let the bobbin hang.
4) Use dub mix of hare's ear to build a thin, small noodle on thread (use dub wax as needed). Build a tapered dub body from the bend almost to the wings. Keep the dub tight as you wrap. Let the bobbin hang.
5) Wrap the oval tinsel forward in open turns to form the rib, stopping just short of the wings. Secure and trim waste. Let the bobbin hang.
6) Select a rooster hackle with barbs to match the hook size and strip an one eight part of the stem. Tie in behind the wings with the curve facing the tail and make tight wraps behind the wings and then in front of the wings. Secure the stem allowing room for a small head and trim the waste.
7) Form a small thread head, whip finish with three whips and trim the thread waste. Varnish the head.
- Tom Adams, Alen Baker