On this page the Drum Flies, please scroll, down. See also the Irvine and the Winnie.

The Drum series of flies were invented/developed by Alexander (Sandy) Irvine, the 23rd Laird of Drum Castle in the 1930's.   Drum castle and estate is   located  on the lower part of the River Dee (see below). Some of the flies are variations of existing patterns (e.g. Drum Charm, Drum Lightning, Drum Ranger, Drum Silver Blue and Drum Eagle) others are new creations. These flies were available for purchase from Charles   Playfair - probably tied by Winnie Fraser, I have heard of various "original" examples in existence, indeed I have some examples of the Drum Lightning myself, and I'm making it a mission to at least get photographs of all the originals and am pursuing various avenues. In the mean time all the dressings are listed here and there will be some modern interpretations.(Feel free to contribute!).

The dressings can also be found on the SalmonFlyer web site - however the version of the Drum Charm listed there is incomplete - I had to study one tied by Colin Simpson in the 1970's to get the full details.

Possibly the oldest occupied castle in Scotland, Drum Castle in Aberdeenshire, was home to the Irvine family for more than six and a half centuries, a full twenty-four generations of nearly unbroken succession. The original tower keep, standing seventy feet from base to battlement and fifty feet on a side with walls twelve feet thick at the base is thought to have been built during the reign of Alexander III in the mid-thirteenth century. While the architect of the Tower of Drum is unknown the work is generally attributed to Richard Cementarius, the first provost of Aberdeen. Several prominent interior features of the tower are identical to other structures that are known to be the work of Cementarius and so Drum Tower is credited to him as well. The rambling stone mansion and Jacobean house that now surround the original tower were built during the reign of Alexander, the 9th Laird of Drum and completed in 1619.

Drum Charm

Tied by Australian Bob Frandsen 

Tag: Oval silver.

Tail: Topping, summer duck fibers, and blue chatterer.

Butt: Black ostrich.

Body: Black floss.

Rib: Oval silver and bright blue thread running on either side.

Throat: Blue.

Wings: Blue swan, white swan, and pintail veiled with bronze mallard, topping over.

Sides: Jungle cock

Drum Eagle

Tied by Australian Bob Frandsen

Tag: Oval silver

Tail: Topping and summer duck.

Butt: Black ostrich.

Body: Oval silver.

Hackle: Yellow dyed eagle.

Throat: Teal.

Wings: Golden pheasant sword point, Amherst pheasant.

Sides: Jungle cock.

Cheeks: Blue chatterer, topping over all.

Drum Grouse

Tied by Australian Bob Frandsen

Tag: Oval silver.

Tail: Topping.

Butt: Black ostrich.

Body: Black floss.

Rib: Oval silver.

Throat: Guinea fowl.

Wings: Grey turkey, summer duck.

Cheeks: Small jungle cock.

Drum Heron

Tied by Australian Bob Frandsen

Tag: Oval silver.

Tail: Topping

Butt: Black ostrich.

Body: Pink floss.

Rib: Oval silver and reverse ribbed blue thread from far side and near side.

Throat: Long gray heron.

Wings: Two strips cinnamon turkey, bustard, bronze mallard (the bustard showing).

Drum Jay

Tied by Australian Bob Frandsen

Tag: Oval silver.

Tail: topping.

Butt: Black ostrich.

Body: Flat silver.

Throat: Blue.

Wings: Yellow swan, cheeks jay, the yellow to appear above the jay.

Drum Lightning

Tied by Australian Bob Frandsen

Original vntage flies

Tag: Oval gold and yellow floss.

Tail: Topping and indian crow.

Butt: Black ostrich.

Body: ½ black floss, ½ flat gold with rib oval gold.

Hackle: Orange over flat gold.

Throat: Vulturine guinea fowl.

Wings: Mallard, strip of barred summer duck.

Sides: Jungle cock, topping over all.

Head: Orange

Drum Mist

Tied by Australian Bob Frandsen

Tail: Topping.

Body: White wool, rib reverse oval silver and heavy black thread, and ordinary rib with oval gold and red thread.

Throat: Long black heron.

Wings: White swan.

Cheeks: Short jungle cock, topping over all.

Head: Red

Drum Moonshine

Tied by Australian Bob Frandsen

Tag: Oval gold.

Tail: Topping and blue chatterer.

Butt: Black ostrich.

Body: ½ white floss, rib oval gold, ½ black floss, rib oval silver.

Throat: Blue.

Wings: Cinnamon turkey, white swan.

Cheeks: Small jungle cock, topping over all.

Drum Pheasant

Tied by Australian Bob Frandsen

Tail: Tippets.

Butt: Black ostrich

Body: Red floss.

Rib: flat and oval silver.

Hackle: Tippet from second turn of tinsel.

Throat: Tippet.

Wings: Black and white turkey.

Drum Ranger