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Although
their popularity
may have waned since their heyday in the 1940's and 50's, the
Green Ghost, Lady Ghost and York's Kennebago are flies that are
firmly cemented in streamer fly history. While his streamers are
often wallet-mates of quintessential patterns by famed creators
such as Carrie Stevens and Herb Welch, the aforementioned patterns'
originator, Bert Quimby, does not share the same legendary status
as those two streamer luminaries. As is commonly the case with
fly pattern history, the longevity and wide acceptance of a pattern
or patterns does not ensure that its creator will be as easily
remembered as his creations - especially as time advances. Such
seems to be the case with Mr. Quimby. Yet, looking back, it is
plainly obvious that Bert Quimby had his finger on the pulse of
northeastern streamer development and influenced it to a degree
that few today may realize.
Bert Quimby
worked as a guide, camp manager and newspaper reporter, a vocation
shared by some fellow streamer notables such as Gene Letourneau.
It was while working as a reporter that Quimby first met Ai Wellington
Ballou - generally acknowledged as the father of the marabou streamer.
Why exactly Bert was at the mouth of the Songo River on Sebago
Lake is unclear, but this meeting may have had a profound impact
on not only Quimby's life, but also Maine streamer history in
general. For Ballou not only went on to coach Bert Quimby on the
finer points of fishing, but more importantly, also gave him his
indoctrination into the craft of fly tying. A rather fortunate
set of circumstances for other Maine anglers to come, both prominent
and otherwise, as well as for us today.
From South
Windham, Maine, where he resided, Bert Quimby would not only generate
his own streamer designs, but would also have a hand in many other
soon-to-be-well-known patterns. As for his own flies, he is perhaps
best known for the Green Ghost and Lady Ghost. The Green Ghost
is thought to have evolved from a melding of Carrie Stevens' Gray
Ghost and the interest in green-winged streamers of the day, attributed
to the popularity of the Dr. Sanborn's Nine-Three. Both the Green
and Lady Ghosts were chiefly known and used as trolling flies
during that time. It has been said that in Maine during the 1940's
and 1950's, the Lady Ghost was considered by many to be an indispensable
pattern.
 Quimby
also cast forth some other intriguing streamer 'apparitions' -
his Galloping Ghost, which sports a wing of Bali duck, and a Silver
Ghost (shown in the accompanying photo), which is attributed to
Quimby by Harold Smedley in his book "Fly Patterns and Their Origins."
(Smedley, however, also makes mention of a Red Ghost and Kennebago
Special by Mr. Quimby, but this is likely erroneous as those patterns
are generally accepted to be originated by Ray Salminen and Bill
Edson, respectively.) There were, of course, his less 'ghostly'
streamers as well. The York's Kennebago, perhaps Quimby's third
most recognized pattern, was named for T. Lewis York of York's
Camps. This handsome, badger-winged streamer was developed to
imitate a baitfish of Kennebago Lake - perhaps dace or possibly
a Lake Chub, which possesses similar dace-like characteristics.
Bert himself particularly favored the Lady Ghost and York's Kennebago
over his other patterns. Most of his flies were tied on looped-eye
Allcock 2811 hooks, a common favorite among streamer tyers of
that time.
Additionally,
Quimby created his Dusty Streamer (first tested on Moosehead Lake),
the Governor Brann (for which he tied and presented the pattern
to the former Maine Governor at the Sportsmen's Show in Boston),
tied the first Nimrod Bucktail for its pattern originator Henry
Beverage (then fishing editor of the Portland Press Herald) and
perhaps originated the Ross McKenney (named for the popular Maine
guide). Quimby is also credited with assisting Chief Needahbeh
in the development of his namesake bi-plane streamer. Bert was
the Chief's main source for this pattern, though Needahbeh stated
that Quimby eventually tied and preferred his own Chief Needabeh
variation, using only yellow hackles as opposed to the original
combination of red and yellow.
Given the
extent of Mr. Quimby's involvement and contributions discussed
above, we might now view his patterns with renewed interest. Members
of the Streamers@
email discussion group have recreated these streamers here,
serving as either an introduction or a call to revisit, in the
hopes that you might be stirred to tie and fish them. A reference
list for Bert Quimby's patterns is also given below.
Chris Del
Plato
5/2003
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PATTERN
REFERENCES:
Green
Ghost - B, H, L, S, S&L, S&S, W
Lady Ghost -- B, L, S&L, S&S
Dr. Milne Streamer -- B, S&L, S&S
Dusty Streamer (original) - B, S&S
Dusty Streamer #2 - L, S&S
Dusty Streamer (late) - B, S&L, S&S
Governor Brann Streamer -- B, S&S
Trout Rock Fly (6 variations) - L, S&S
White Pheasant Streamer - B, S&S
York's Kennebago - B, L, S&L, S&S, W
Galloping Ghost Streamer - B, L, S, S&L
Ross McKenney - B, L, S, S&S
Chief Needahbeh variation - B, L
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Reference
Key:
B - Bates (Streamer Fly Tying & Fishing 1995)
H - Hilyard (Carrie Stevens)
L - Leonard (Flies)
S - Smedley (Fly Patterns & Their Origins)
S&L - Stewart & Leeman (Trolling Flies For Trout & Salmon)
S&S - Schmookler & Sils (Forgotten Flies)
W - Wilson (Smelt Fly Patterns) |
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Submitted December 24th 2007
My wife's Uncle Bob Ballou (Ai Ballou's oldest son) recently sent her copy of the Article "The Steamers Flies of Bert Quimby" dated 10/30/07. The author of the article wondered out loud, why Quimby was at the mouth of the Songo River on Sebago Lake, when he first met my wife's grandfather Ai Wellington Ballou. I met Ai Ballou very few times, too my regret. Truely, a wonderful man and sportsman. Quimby met Ai Ballou at the mouth of the Songo River because that was where the Salmon were. My vivid memory recalls the stories he would tell of his fishing feats as well as the stories behind each "trophy catch". My summer home is on Crescent Lake, in Raymond and he therefore told of the many times he would trek to the "Migis Lodge" fish with his friends at the mouth of the Songo.
His fly tying laboratory (small upstairs corner room)was a marvel with all the bird feathers he gathered from around the world. My best recollection was the story of the patch of grey dog fur that he had stored away in a bottom drawer and the story of how he got the dog's owner, a 9 year old girl, who he extolled to cut off a swatch of this dog's fur. This dog fur became the heart of his famous and very successful fly he named after the dog. "Growling Bill" was to go down in Ai's book as a favorite of his flies. Have any of your readers any knowledge of "Growling Bill" fly?