classic Michigan dry fly · about 1941 to 1942
Victory Fly
Likely origin Deschaine's two columns agree on Winnie and the wartime date and cite a 1942 Grand Rapids Press article, but that article has not been seen and the columns differ on materials.
History
Art Winnie, the Traverse City barber behind the Michigan Hopper, made this red, white and blue fly as a patriotic emblem after the United States entered the Second World War. Tom Deschaine traced its first public appearance to a Grand Rapids Press piece of February 7, 1942, and dated the fly itself to late 1941 or early 1942.
Deschaine described three forms: a showpiece with married quill wings in a V for victory, a simpler pin-backed brooch with a blue hackle collar that sold to the public, and a fishing version with the rib wound so heavily it almost hid the white body. Winnie reportedly said brown trout would take it. The story that Franklin Roosevelt wore one is hearsay in Deschaine's telling, and the fly faded away after the war.
Deschaine's two columns differ on details: in 2012 he could not identify the ribbon-like body of a surviving fly, and in 2014 he rebuilt the press version from the newspaper photo.
Materials
| Hook | Probably a long-shank dry fly hook (about 6XL); pin backs for the brooch |
|---|---|
| Tail | Two red duck quill slips set in a V |
| Body | White silk floss |
| Rib | Silver and black braid, wound heavy on the fishing version |
| Wings | Red, white and blue married quill sections in a V (press version) |
| Hackle | Blue collar in place of wings (brooch version) |
Sources
- Deschaine, T. "Art Winnie's Victory Fly." Just Old Flies, Fly Anglers Online, February 27, 2012.
- Deschaine, T. "The Historical 'Victory Fly'." Old Flies, Fly Anglers Online, March 10, 2014.
- "Victory Fly" article and photo. Grand Rapids Press, February 7, 1942 (cited by Deschaine; not seen).
Know more about this fly's history, or spot a mistake? Send a correction.
No photo yet. Every photo on michfly is of a fly tied for the site, so they're added a few at a time.
Original recipe cards for many Michigan patterns are kept at the Michigan Dry Flies archive, built by the late Tom Deschaine.