The Ray Bergman Collection – 7) Alexandra
Ray Bergman Collection — By HatchesMagazine on September 12, 2010 1:43 pm
Tail: Peacock sword and/or scarlet
Ribbing: Oval silver tinsel (optional)
Body: Silver tinsel
Hackle: Deep wine, dark claret, or black
Wing: Peacock sword – may have dash of scarlet on each side
The Alexandra exists in numerous variations. It is a fly of English origin that was supposedly banned in fishing competitions at one time because of its killing effectiveness. Personal experience with the Alexandra has earned it a place in my wet fly box. I sometimes finish it with a red head.
Tags: Black, Dark Claret, Dark Red Floss, Deep Wine, Oval Silver Tinsel, Peacock, Peacock Sword, Ray Bergman, Scarlet, Tinsel, Wet Fly
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3 Comments
This is very interesting. I am currently tying some gold bead Alexandras for a friend and the addition of a bead at the head does add some extra complications. However, I used to use this fly a lot when fishing English reservoirs (Queen Mother in the 1980′s) where there was a good head of small perch and roach. It was an extremely effective fly. I have not used it since those days, as marabou and flashy synthetics have largely superceded more natural fibres.
Best wishes
John
This is my all time favourite wet fly
Hi John and Eunan;
Thank you for your posting here, sorry it took me so long to reply. I don’t get e-mail notifications of comments, and have not visited these older fly postings. Thank you very much for your comments.
We have had good success with the Alexandra in Maine rivers, as well an Pennsylvania. Cheers!