Jock Scott
The Jock Scott is the most famous fully-dressed Atlantic salmon fly ever tied, created by Lord John Scott's gillie in 1845. Its extraordinarily complex dressing — turkey, macaw, florican, golden pheasant, married wing fibers — represents the pinnacle of Victorian fly tying art. Still fished successfully on Scottish, Norwegian, and Canadian salmon rivers, it demands exceptional tying skill. In smaller sizes on single irons, it remains a top-producing salmon pattern.
- Type
- wet fly (Atlantic Salmon)
- Hook sizes
- #2–10
- Target species
- salmon
- Difficulty
- advanced
- Best seasons
- spring, summer, fall
Materials
- hook: Salmon double or single hook #2–10
- thread: Black
- tag: Silver tinsel + yellow floss
- tail: Golden pheasant crest + Indian crow or red fiber
- body: Rear: black floss, silver rib, black hackle; butt: gold tinsel; Front: black floss, silver rib
- hackle: Natural black cock hackle + guinea fowl throat
Tying steps
- Mount a salmon hook; build a tag of silver tinsel and yellow floss.
- Add a tail of golden pheasant crest and Indian crow or red feather fiber.
- Wind a rear body of black floss with oval silver rib and black hackle at the joint.
- Add a flat gold tinsel butt at the junction; wind a front body of black floss.
- Rib the front body with oval silver tinsel; palmer a dark natural black hackle.
- Add a throat of guinea fowl or blue jay, striped with bright color.
- Build the married wing from strips of turkey, macaw, bustard, and golden pheasant.
- Add a topping of golden pheasant crest and jungle cock cheeks; build a black lacquered head.