Hi Keith, you set me lookin' and your right but so am I. Found your reference in Taff Price's Fly Patterns an International Guide. (1986) "A lead shot painted eye" is an optional dressing for the Dog Nobbler here. In Bob Churches, "The International Guide to Trout Flies," (1987) The dressing has a herl head and no lead. Both authors credit the fly to Trevor Housby. Price credits the lead head to Bill Blades circa 1951 who used an "Ice Fishing Fly" that had a lead head. Dug deeper and found JD Bates, "Streamer fly tying & Fishing," (1950) and the "Owl Eyed Optic" credited to Jim Pray a Californian who used a large 1/4 in brass bead painted with an eye on his steelhead flies. Trey Combs gives 1940 as the date for Pray's Optic. Also Ray Bergman's, "Trout," (1952) credited the use of an optic or eye on a streamer to MR. Hobbs of Connecticut. Hobbs painted eyes on his streamers and apparently had them trademarked. Bergman doesn't give any dates for this development and I didn't see mention of any weight/lead/brass used in the flies construction.
I'm sure there's more to add, "still a who done it?" Calm days eh Wally Keith Passant wrote: > Wally, > Almost the recipe but the Dog Nobblers I have seen ( never used) have a lead > split shot for the head chenille body and marabou tail. Theplit shot is > usually a BB size and is painted with eyes. I beleive the idea for the > pattern came from US crappie jig flies. > But they do work very well indeed. > KP > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Wally Lutz" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Sent: Sunday, April 07, 2002 10:05 PM > Subject: Re: [VFB] New Fly- "Minute Minnow" > > > HI all, very similar to the Dog Nobblers (Trevor Housby) and Puppy Lures > ( eyed > > version of the nobbler) used for reservoir fishing in Britain. > #8-9672+Peacock > > herl head+any colour chenille body+gob of marabou tail=the Nobbler. The > Puppies > > are very similar with eyes and a pronounced carrot shape body, the wide > part at > > the head. I've used both in my lakes with efficient results. > > > > Calm days eh > > Wally > >
