The Complete Fly Fisherman
The Notes and Letters of
Theodore Gordon
Edited and with an Introduction by
John McDonald
Charles Scribner’s SonsNew York
1947
First edition
“A”
Hardcover in near very good condition, mild stain on front board as shown in a photo.
Jacket in fair to good condition, Tape reenforced on outside top spine area
 In acetate jacket.
The Quill Gordon is the original Catskill dry fly, first tied by Theodore Gordon in the 1890s. The fly matches hatches of Epeorus pleuralis, an early-season mayfly of the Northeast. In a reversal of the normal process of nomenclature, the insect itself is now known as the quill Gordon.
Theodore Gordon
Edited and with an Introduction by
John McDonald
Charles Scribner’s SonsNew York
1947
First edition
“A”
Hardcover in near very good condition, mild stain on front board as shown in a photo.
Jacket in fair to good condition, Tape reenforced on outside top spine area
 In acetate jacket.
The Quill Gordon is the original Catskill dry fly, first tied by Theodore Gordon in the 1890s. The fly matches hatches of Epeorus pleuralis, an early-season mayfly of the Northeast. In a reversal of the normal process of nomenclature, the insect itself is now known as the quill Gordon.
“Time moves slowly in fly fishing,” wrote John McDonald. “The last time it moved in a large way in the United States was with Theodore Gordon.” More than any other figure, Gordon and his writings were the philosophical bridge between the British fly fishing heritage and the beginning of the American tradition. Born into comfortable circumstances in Pittsburgh, Gordon pursued a career in finance in New York City. In the late nineteenth century, Gordon began to publish articles about fly fishing in both British and American periodicals, and was widely regarded throughout the U.S. and Great Britain as the leading American angling authority. All the while, he improved his knowledge of fly fishing. Among his most important information resources was one of Britain’s premier anglers and writers, Frederic Halford. Halford was known for his detailed studies of stream entomology and his techniques for creating dry flies that matched the hatch of various insects. About 1900, Gordon abandoned city life to fish and write full-time. He first moved a few miles up the Hudson River to Haverstraw, and later to the Catskill Mountains where he primarily fished the “Big Three” of Catskill trout streams: the Neversink, the Beaverkill, and the Willowemoc. It was here that Gordon successfully adapted the dry fly methodology of England to rivers in North America, thus becoming the principal creator of the structure and style of the American imitation trout fly. During this time, Gordon developed the now-famous Quill Gordon, a versatile fly that could be dressed on the spot to imitate the hatching insect species. Though Gordon introduced the dry fly to American anglers, he never excluded use of the wet fly as did his English friend, Fredric Halford.
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