Fly Tying the Bradley Special (Catskill Style Dry Fly Pattern)

Likely created in the 1930s by Catskill fly fishermen William Chandler and William Bradley, the Bradley Special is a rare but still effective pattern.
Hook: #12-16 standard dry fly
Thread: Red
Tail: Brown hackle fibers
Body: Fox squirrel dubbing
Wing: Flank, woodduck
Hackle: Brown dry fly
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** Some of the other popular books used on this channel: **
Dave Hughes, "Essential Trout Flies," 2017, amzn.to/3lbCZYX
Dave Hughes, "Wet Flies," 2015, amzn.to/33ac3lQ
John Shewey, "Classic Steelhead Flies," 2015, amzn.to/2RywHcP
David Klausmeyer's "Favorite Flies," 2020, amzn.to/3oeSNMa
Morgan Lyle's "Simple Flies," 2015, amzn.to/3qB1zW1
Fly Pattern Encyclopedia: amzn.to/34U0rUe
Mike Valla's "Tying the Founding Flies," 2015, amzn.to/354oSir
Mike Valla's "Classic Streamer Fly Box," 2020, amzn.to/3n3Vakf
Randle Scott Stetzer's "Flies, the Best One Thousand," 1992, amzn.to/34Q15mp
Terry Hellekson's "Popular Fly Patterns," 1976, amzn.to/2L4IyvS
Dick Stewart's, "Flies for Bass and Panfish," 1992, amzn.to/3aGpFs1
Fly Pattern Encyclopedia: amzn.to/34U0rUe
Savage Flies is a project with the mission of encouraging and teaching fly tying to as many people as possible. The channel is named after one of my western Maryland homewaters, the Savage River. I've been uploading three new tying videos a week, with the occasional extra video on other days.
Thanks for stopping by. Please let me know in the comments if you have any tying tips you would like to share or if you have any patterns you would like to see tied here.

[@FlyTyer1948]

Nicely tied, effective looking fly. When tying Catskill dries, rolling the quill fibers for the wings to separate bunched fibers before tying them to the hook can help later when dividing them into the two wings.

[@SavageFlies]

Great tip, and one that I should know! I usually remember it on pheasant tail fibers but I didn't think of it here. 🤔

[@epsieblaine7968]

Good morning Matt.My favorite style of flies to tie.Had a shadow box for 12 flies,hadntt filled yet.Two weeks aģo today,we a hard all day rain from Ida.Sat down at the bench for about 10 hours,tied 12 Catskill flies.Counted the tail fibers,and the wing fibers,counted the wing fibers when I split the wings.Used Denny waxed thread,8/0 ran through a waxing mechain marking it like 6/0,every thread had to count.Left space behind the eye for the turel knot.I'll send you a pic. afterwhile.Have a great day Matt. Ken

[@SavageFlies]

Ken- that sounds like my kind of Saturday! I think I'm better at fishing Catskill flies than I am tying them. I can't wait to see your pictures. 👍

[@brianfeeney9493]

Hey Mattskill, Luv that work on that Catskill !!!!!!!!! You ARE ..... the MAN 😎👍🏻🇺🇸 ✨🎣💫

[@SavageFlies]

Thanks Brian! And hey, I haven't forgotten about sending you a box of steelhead flies to try. And wasn't it you who came up with the name of Banana Split for one? Yeah, we're going to invent that thing. 🤣

[@brianfeeney9493]

Thanks MATT !!!!! Yessir Brook - Trout Dreams ....... “ BANANA 🍌 SPILT “ Tie !!!!!! Be Well and Great Fishing Brother ..... ✨ 🎣 💫

[@JamesMcCutcheon]

Matt, I am impressed. These Catskill flies always caught my eye and obviously they catch trout.

[@SavageFlies]

Well thank you James! Yep, I think they've been popular so long because they work so well. 👍

[@edwardchavez5627]

Good Morning Sir Matt, Yeah Baby Catskill style flies you got to love him. When someone mentions fly fishing this is the fly I envision and also Adam style flies. Thanks again Sir Matt great skills in your tying as usual. 😉❤👍🎣💯

[@SavageFlies]

You're 100% right there Edward! The Adams or Royal Coachman are what non-fishermen think of when they think of flies.

[@edherrmann182]

Although I’m a little past these style dry flies, I always find these different Catskill. Patterns fun to tie. I discovered a you tuber roger duckworth that posted his technique to make an imitative lifelike tail/abdomen using a variable speed drill, different sized sewing needles using silicone and dubbing and tail fidbits. I like the books that show entomology pics of various mayflies. I tie up a bunch of sections of the flies I’m going to tie, set them aside and use them when needed. I remember years ago using mallard flank feathers to do the same thing. I like dry flies that look natural and realistic.

[@SavageFlies]

Ed- I had never seen this channel so thank you for the tip! I'm watching the video now. I might just have to give this a try. :-)

[@hardyschlegel1048]

Really love this style of dry fly, I always tend to use an oversized hackle for my dries, helps them ride higher. Thanks for sharing Matt!

[@SavageFlies]

Thanks Hardy, and yep, I think that's one of the reasons they tie them like that. High floaters in broken water. 👍

[@allenaviation5746]

That looks like a good one Matt. Catskill dries and other traditional flies are my favorites to tie. I used to fish the Beaverkill when my sister lived close to Roscoe. The Bradley Special dressing is listed the book, The Dettes, a Catskill Legend. There's not a lot of information for the fly but there are a couple of paragraphs and it's pretty funny. The Dettes didn't like Bradley apparently and called him a real pain because he was always demanding changes to the pattern. I's good book that I've re-read several times, full of history if you ever get the chance to read it.

[@SavageFlies]

Oh man, I have never made it up to the Catskill fly fishing mecca of Roscoe. But it's definitely on my to-do list as soon as I can make it happen. I just did another Catskill tie for tomorrow's video. It's Harry Darbee's Two-feather. Have you ever done that one? It's quite simple, but a pretty cool looking fly. :-)

[@allenaviation5746]

@@SavageFlies Matt, yep I've tied that one one. Looking forward to you r rendition! The one I really remember is the the extended body Green Drake that Ralph Graves showed me how to to tie in his Old Glory fly shop in Roscoe. He was a great guy. Still fish it on Penn's Cree and Pine creek. Roscoe is great place to visit - or it least it was back in the 90's.

[@karljones6594]

Good morning Matt. Nice looking fly. Will give it try. Thank you have a great day.

[@SavageFlies]

Appreciate it Karl! And as always, thanks for watching my friend. :-)

[@leemowers9395]

Nice looking Catskill style dry fly. Thanks Matt

[@SavageFlies]

Appreciate it Lee!

[@jimholland1592]

Hey Matt! Watching a little late today, Love the Catskills flies you did a amazing job. Always enjoy your insight and input of what you’re doing👍

[@SavageFlies]

Thanks Jim! I just can't wait to get back down to GA. I've got a day on the river planned for Saturday but now it looks like rain on Friday. I haven't had any luck getting out lately!

[@jimholland1592]

@@SavageFlies Hopefully the weather will change and always look forward when you can come👍

[@laytonmarvin3790]

Nicely tied Matt. I really love fishing this pattern, riding high and easily seen. I appreciate you sharing.

[@SavageFlies]

Thanks Layton! There's nothing like dry fly fishing with these old Catskill patterns. :-)

[@Jd-yc3gw]

Good morning Matt. Back to my routine, morning ☕️☕️ and your video. I like the big hackles on the Catskills style dry flies. To me they just look buggy. Nice work on tying this one. Take care and have a great week.

[@SavageFlies]

Thanks John! It's always good to be back in a routine. 😁

[@martyrothman3933]

Nice Matt it looks great

[@garrettswoodworx1873]

Nice tie Matt! Thanks for sharing.

[@marshallbaldwin8960]

Very cool dry fly. Thank you Sir Matt

[@johnnylightning1491]

Another nice fly Matt. Keep the good stuff coming.

[@SavageFlies]

Appreciate it my friend! I'm working on an old school Ray Bergman pattern tonight. We'll see if I can pull it off. :-)

[@mikeney5113]

Very cool pattern Matt.great job tying it looks great.thanks for sharing

[@SavageFlies]

Thanks Mike! Appreciate it my friend. 👍

[@chevyguy6510]

Thanks Matt!

[@barbaraemerich1921]

I really like this fly. I’m going to try it out! Thank you so much for sharing. I shared your channel on my women’s fly fishing Facebook group!

[@SavageFlies]

Wow, thank you Barbara! I certainly appreciate the support. Let me know if ya'll ever have any requests. I'm not really active on Facebook but I do read the comments here every night. :-)

[@barbaraemerich1921]

@@SavageFlies the fly fishing club I belong to here in Idaho has a Facebook group, I shared it on there so the members could subscribe to your channel. Lots of us tie flies.

[@SavageFlies]

@@barbaraemerich1921 Thank you so much! I did notice a nice bump in subscribers yesterday. :-)

[@antoniopatrick5461]

Super cool pattern. Definitely going to have to tie some of these for next spring.

[@SavageFlies]

Thanks Antonio! Appreciate you watching my friend. :-)

[@crowdaddy8355]

Nice looking fly. Great job as always. Thanks.

[@SavageFlies]

Thanks Chad! I really appreciate it my friend. :-)

[@toddslichter7831]

Good looking pattern. Thanks, Matt.

[@SavageFlies]

Appreciate it Todd!

[@RockyPhillips]

Very cool pattern, love those old ones

[@SavageFlies]

Appreciate it Rocky!

[@cephasmcpher67peteroutdoorspip]

The Catskill style patterns are some of my favorites too fish of course that could be because I live near the Catskills so I might be a bit biased. But to tie them is still a skill I am learning it amazes me how easy you make it look Matt but of course it also shows years of tying experience. Awesome looking fly.

[@SavageFlies]

Well thank you Cephas! But believe me, I mess up plenty of these type flies. But as long as my hackle isn't so big and bushy that it closes the hook gap too much, they still work. 👍

[@bigdaddy99929]

Cool buggy looking fly should do great! Thx Matt. 🙂

[@SavageFlies]

Thanks Clyde!

[@davehall2160]

Good looking fly Matt Will definitely have to try this one out Thanks for the video

[@SavageFlies]

No problem 👍 I always appreciate your support Dave!

[@Sidiousmoz]

Matt, very nice pattern, i believe you convinced me to add it to my catalog. Thanks!

[@SavageFlies]

Well thank you Sidious my man! These Catskill dries are certainly a big part of the fly fishing heritage. :-)

[@TheAlex0026]

Great pattern 👍 great tie

[@SavageFlies]

Thanks Alex!

[@alexanderlanham372]

Very nice, I like this fly a lot.

[@SavageFlies]

Thank you Alexander! I certainly appreciate you watching my friend. :-)

[@harryjoesather6539]

like the dry fly pattern's

[@marksleeper9385]

nice fly

[@ybarrajc]

Nice thanks for sharing

[@SavageFlies]

Appreciate it my friend!

[@markfritch3168]

I haven’t tied a lot of Catskill style flies but this one looks fun. Do you think this pattern would work well in the northwest? We have an abundance of fox squirrel where I live and I take a wood duck once in awhile when needed. I have dyed mallard flank but I prefer the wood duck barring. Thanks again for the great video. And thanks for your service for our country as well. Continued blessings my friend.

[@SavageFlies]

Thanks Mark; I appreciate the kind words! And oh yeah, this fly, and most others in this family and style will work wherever you have mayfly adults (or duns) on the water. That's why the Adams is so popular all over. It's a mayfly dun that doesn't look exactly like any bugs, but it looks enough like any mayfly.

[@RyanAshley419]

Hmmm. I need to do more with red threads. I don't use them hardly at all. I always like the look of them, but never think to use it.

[@SavageFlies]

Speaking of that, I should do more with purple threads! Maybe it's time to do another Purple Haze dry fly. 😁

[@joeduca8582]

Great job Matt. I like how you tie with the materials that you have, I do the same. Some of my favorite Fran Betters patterns purposely have the thread show through the dubbed body. Just curious though, is the recipe in the description from Klausmeyer's book, calling for fox squirrel dubbing? The Dettes index card from Valla"s book calls for red squirrel. I ask because sometimes the names of some animals are regional. Looks like tie with what you have, I'd even use rusty orange Australian opossum. Not many Fox squirrels here in CNY. But we have tons of the Red as well as Gray, and Chipmunks too. I have pelts and tails from all three. If you're interested, Fly Tyer summer 2021, has an article on a better way to tie mayfly wings compared to the Catskill School. Also a nice Quill Gordon photo on the last page. And I really enjoy watching Umberto Oreglini tie very pretty Catskill style flies. His channel is Down By The River - Fly Tying Videos. He learned a lot from Valla's books. Thanks again Matt, happy hump day! :o)

[@SavageFlies]

D'oh! I think I got that one wrong. Klausmeyer's book does indeed call for red squirrel. It wouldn't have mattered to me as I don't have either! But I hear what you're saying about animals being called different things in different areas. Remember the picket pin? What was that critter? A groundhog? Or a woodchuck? Or sometimes called a ground squirrel? In my back yard, I have tons of plain gray squirrels. I'll see a few flying squirrels every year, and a few of what I always thought are fox squirrels. These guys are much bigger, have a little red in their tail, and their belly fur isn't as white as regular squirrels. It has a tint of red in it. But these aren't true "red squirrels" as they are something different. I've never seen one but I have bought some tails. They are really red and much smaller. And wow, I just checked out Umberto's channel. Good stuff! I'll have to look at the summer Fly Tyer for the mayfly wings. Thanks for the note!

[@joeduca8582]

@@SavageFlies Yeah glad you understand what I meant and enjoyed Umberto. :o)

[@flyfishingchannel]

💪💪💪

[@ronnyhuysmans4120]

:)