Chauncy Lively

[mario66pens]

Chauncy Lively has been my tying inspiration for awhile, his inch worm pattern predates Ken Igo and Russ Mowry's green weenie. Lively is a PA guy, I was curious whether anybody here discovered the delights of Livelys style.

 

[dryflyguy]

Though I never met him, I really enjoyed his tying articles in PA Angler years ago. I cut out and saved quite a few of his patterns, and still have them up in the attic somewhere.
I came across his book - Chauncey Livelys Flybox - at the cabin fever show last year and bought it. A very enjoyable read IMO

 

[outsider]

I bought his book way back when it came out, a great referecne book.

 

[osprey]

WOW!!!! There us someone besides me on here that is old enough to remember "Chauncy Livelys Flybox" in the back of PA Angler , for years. I never met him or for that matter know much about him other than waiting for the next months pattern to be published. I learned so much from him it's unreal , his method for tying extended bodies is one of the best , it can't be done any easier than his way. MAN this is a GREAT post and brings back fond memories. THANKS!!!!

 

[osprey]

Mario...........would you happen to know where in PA he lived? I always find that interesting about PA folks that become famous. Do you know where he was from? THANKS AGAIN for the post.

 

[salvelinus]

I remember his Pa Angler fly tying articles too. Old issues are available as pdf documents here. How about Sam Slaymaker too, anybody remember him?

 

[gulfgreyhound]

I remember when those Little Brown, Rainbow and Brooke streamers were all the rage. GG

 

[Festus]

As a 10 year old kid just entering into a lifelong addiction, I met him at the Allentown Sportshow in the 60s. He was a class act as I remember, and he took the extra time to devote to a kid that had questions. I use his patterns often, and still have the one fly that he gave me at that show.

 

[troutbert]

What was Chauncy Lively's inchworm pattern?

 

[Tups]

I am recalling from memory, so take tHat into consideration. Lively lived in PA but had a suMmer place in Michigan to which he retired some years ago. He passed on about 3 yrs. Ago.

 

[Tups]

Well, time flies. Chauncey Lively actually passed away in 2000. In the PA Angler number of January/February 2001, his daughters wrote a tribute to their father. It begins: "We grew up on the streams of central Pennsylvania and on the ponds and rivers nearer our home in Pittsburg." Later in the article, they mention that their home was actually in a place called "Green Tree," near Pittsburg. They regularly fished the Loyalhanna and Fisherman's Paradise. The family also had a camp near Franklin, so they also fished in that locale. He and his wife retired to a place on the Ausable River in Michigan. he wrote his first fly tying article for the Angler in the November 1968 issue and his last in the May/June 2000 issue.

 

[rrt]

I, too, have his book. He was quite a tier. I clipped his description of Clayton Peters' Perla Stonefly Nymph from the angler and saved it; I keep it in the book. I also admired his writing style; he seemed to be a genuine lover of fly tying and fly fishing.

 

[DGC]

I just happened yesterday to bump into Lively and PA Angler while researching the Paul Young Strawman. Salvelinus, I didn't know about that archive link; that's a gold mine.

I checked out his book at the Dauphin County library moons ago. I believe the inchworm was chartreuse deer hair lashed to a hook, with some extended body incorporating a bend purposefully. Not sure if foam was well known at the time he wrote the book. If I tied any I lost them and doubt I ever gave them a fair test.

 

[Tups]

From "Chauncey Lively's FlyBox", Stackpole, 1980.

The Flexi Inchworm:

Hook: #14 or 16 regular shank
Thread: Pale green Monocord or nymph thread
Body: Deer body hair dyed pale green

He states: "The Flexi-Inchworm is an improved version of the original pattern. It lends itself both to conventional upstream work and pocket skittering because it is virtually unsinkable. Almost any shade of dyed green body hair will do but my personal favorite is pale, whitish-green. It not only matches many of the naturals but it is extremely visible under the shaded situations where one normally fishes inchworms."

 

[Tups]

Tying instructions (abridged):

Cut a bunch of body hair abt as thick as a pencil.

hold hair in bundle on shank and bind to hook just behind eye, allowing abt 1/8 inch of butts to project in front.

Hold hair in left hand. spiral wrap in firm, spaced turns toward bend.

When you reach bend, continue to wrap hair in a free extension for a distance equal to the hook shank length. Make 2 extra turns at rear-most winding.

Wind thread forward in similar spacing to eye. Whip finish.

Trim off excess hair at rear and finish-trim rear to a rounded profile.

trim hair in front to a neat head and apply black lacquer to the head and the whip finish windings.

Apply clear lacquer to the extra winds at rear.

 

[addictedangler]

I too had his book. I was born south of Pittsburgh and got to see him a few times. I have lent a few books out to good friends and not got them back and his is one of them. Is it still in print? I believe he fished Dunbar creek also. He was a great inspiration for my fly fishing life. Also anyone remember William Tappley? Going back!!

 

[BrookTroutLover]

Very fond memories of Chauncey and his brother in law, George Aiken. When I was in high school, I fished and tied flies with George quite a bit, and fished the Paradise with he, Chauncey, and Marion Lively (Chauncey's beloved wife). A couple of months after a May trip, imagine my surprise and delight to find Chauncey's fly tying article in the magazine featuring a story about our time together fishing over tan caddis and craneflies at the Paradise. Both Chauncey and George were old school gentlemen.

 

[dryflyguy]

One of his flies that he featured in a PA angler article, was a mayfly pattern called a tri-point dun. It's a more realistic variation of the comparadun.
The deer hair is separated into 3 different segments. 2 parts are bunched separately on each side of the front of the hook - and represent the legs, and help float the fly.
The 3rd part sits on the top of the hook, and squeezed together into a sailboat wing shape. Then glued to hold it that way.
It's a very effective pattern - and has caught some fish for me, that have refused everything else that I tried

 

[mario66pens]

Mario...........would you happen to know where in PA he lived? I always find that interesting about PA folks that become famous. Do you know where he was from? THANKS AGAIN for the post.

osprey, he was originally a Latrobe guy but moved to Greene county.

 

[osprey]

Thanks Mario..........Addict.......Taps Tips from Outdoor Life was that the same fella?