Carrie G. Stevens - Graydon R. Hilyard & Leslie K. Hilyard

Carrie G. Stevens: Maker of Rangeley Favorite Trout and Salmon Flies

Carrie Stevens (1882-1970), a self-taught fly tier from Upper Dam, Maine, created some of the most beautiful and enduring streamer patterns ever designed. The Gray Ghost alone would be enough to secure her place in fly tying history forever. In fact, she originated dozens of patterns for the landlocked salmon and giant brook trout of the Rangeley Lakes region, and several of these streamers have become standards. Many more were- until now - obscure or unknown. This long-awaited book is both a history of the woman and the region, as well as the definitive guide to Stevens streamers and their construction, with comments by experts on the subtleties of her method. The tying section lists dressings for more than 100 streamers, 65 of which have never been published.
Rich in anecdotal lore, Carrie Stevens paints a vivid picture of Carrie, her coterie of friends and guides, and the famous anglers who beat a path to her door at a time when the Rangeley Lakes region of Maine was being discovered as a premiere destination for trophy fish.
Color plates of original patterns, some only recently discovered, along with never-before-published photos and documents from the Stevens archives and private collections make this not only an entertaining read but a significant addition to American fly-tying history.