This is a nymph pattern first published in the Flyfisher's Club Journal in the summer of 1928.
It along with many unpublished Skues patterns was published for the wider world by Overfield in his book "The Way of a Man with a Trout".
Like many great anglers Skues was always "tinkering" with fly patterns and playing with the Tups blend was one of those things. In this pattern the red colored portion of the mix is replaced by olive brown seal's fur.
One can obtain rams wool from the "indispensable" part...but I think the key thing is texture and color. Rams wool in general is very "curly" "crinkly" in texture and that is what you want. Likewise seal fur is also like that. Both are a bit difficult to dub well alone and so the addition of Hare's Poll (the fur in between the ears on a hare mask) makes it easier.
Having seen flies tied by Ausin's daughter in a collection it seems clear the original tups coloring is more yellow than pink. So likewise I am guessing this dubbing mix is more yellow than olive-brown.
I mixed brown and yellow rams wool...hoping to mimic the coloring of the originals rams wool with lemon spaniel fur to get that brownish yellow cast. I then mixed in cream seal's fur, hare's poll to get the base mix and for this fly added olive seal.
I cannot really know the color but I think we have the beginnings to start a lifetime of "tweaking" the blend and pattern as all anglers should do!
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