The Quill Gordon
While doing some research a into the Quill Gordon Fly, I learned about whom the fly is named. The Quill Gordon fly got its name from Theodore Gordon who named it Gordon after his name and Quill because he used quills in creating the fly. Gordon was a hermit, and a prolific writer for the “Fishing Gazette” as well as the “Forest and Stream” publications from 1890 to 1903. Gordon lived in the Catskill region of New York State, and fished in the now famous Neversink, Beaverkill and Willowemoc Rivers . Gordon died in 1915 but became known as the “Father of American Dry Fly Fishing”.
When fly fishing was in its infancy in America, England was quite well along in its development. Gordon was impressed with the work of Frederick M. Halford who was a tier of flies in England in the late 1880’s. In fact, he had Halford send him some 50 flies to try in America. These flies became the basis for exploration and development of flies by Gordon including the “Blue Quill Gordon” as well as the Quill Gordon.