Mary Orvis Marbury
(1856-1914)

When Mary died in 1914, her obituary
in the Fishing Gazette announced 
“Death of the Most Famous but one 
Female Angling Author.” By the 1990s 
nearly all of the flies featured in 
Favorite Flies, and hundreds of others
that the Orvis Company tiers tied so 
regularly in the late 1800s, are all but 
forgotten. They were never photographed
per se; dressings never accompanied 
their illustrations; and many were never
shown in any publications. By presenting
these colorful examples of early American 
tying together with their patterns for the 
first time, FORGOTTEN FLIES may 
inspire tiers who may wish to try their 
hand at something long overlooked.

     GO TO MARBURY GALLERY        GO BACK

This page designed and copyrighted © 1999 The Complete Sportsman