This pattern as represented in Trout by Ray Bergman is a little different than the old, original 19th century version I discovered on the 1893 Orvis Display Plates at the American Museum of Fly Fishing in Manchester, Vermont. Bergman’s book obviously includes the Fitzmaurice as a trout pattern, while as represented in size on the Orvis display, it could be a either a Lake Fly, intended for brook trout and landlocked salmon, or a Bass Fly, or perhaps both.
Here is the version replicated from the recipe of Trout:
Fitzmaurice wet fly, recipe from Trout by Ray Bergman.
Fitzmaurice, Trout version:
Tag: Oval gold tinsel – the addition of the tinsel tag is mine, note the flat gold tinsel tag on the Orvis version
Tail: Peacock sword fibers
Butt: Black chenille
Body: Red chenille
Wing: Bronze mallard
Hackle: Yellow
Head: Black
Following is my photo of the Fitz-Maurice from the 1893 Orvis Display:
Fitz-Maurice from 1893 Orvis Display, hook size is approximately a #1/0. The Lake Flies were traditionally tied in sizes this large, as were the Bass Flies.
Fitz-Maurice – Orvis Dressing:
Tag: Flat gold tinsel
Tail: Peacock sword fibers
Body: Rear 1/2 red chenille, front 1/2 black chenille
Hackle: Golden yellow, wound full over front 1/5 of hook shank
Wing: Gray mallard, two whole feathers; this could be classed as a spoon wing. The stems were tied reverse-wing.
This pattern has a gut loop eye, often referred to back in the day as a snood. The chenille is very dense, most likely a fine grade of silk chenille. The Fitz-Maurice is not listed in Mary Orvis Marbury’s Favorite Flies and Their Histories, 1892, but as you can see it is on the 1893 Orvis Display, and it will be among more than 200 additional 19th century fly patterns, beyond the 291 in Marbury’s book, that will be listed by name with the accurate recipe, determined by visual inspection of actual flies, and from study of my collection of fly photos, in my upcoming book in progress, Favorite Fishing Flies – 1892. The additional fly patterns from the 1893 display include flies in all categories of Marbury’s book: Hackles, Lake Flies, Trout Flies, Salmon Flies, and Bass Flies.
