IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ARTIFICIAL FLIES AND OTHER BAIT FOR FISH
Year: 1852

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Anthony Fothergill Bainbridge, of Putney, in
the County of Surrey, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF ARTIFICIAL FLIES AND OTHER BAIT FOR FISH."
Sealed the 17th January 1853, and dated the 27th October 1852.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Anthony Fothergill
Bainbridge at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 27th October 1852.
I, ANTHONY FOTHERGILL BAINBRIDGE, of Putney, in the County of
Surrey, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ARTIFICIAL FLIES AND OTHER BAIT FOR
FISH" to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object the so constructing the wings or
projections of artificial bait that such bait shall have peculiar elasticity,
and, if desired, rotate when in the water by reason of the wings or
projections being attached by means of elastic and flexible connections
made of wire, vulcanized india-rubber, gutta-percha, or other flexible or
elastic material.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent.
filed by the said Anthony Fothergill Bainbridge in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 27th April 1853.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
ANTHONY FOTHERGILL BAINBRIDGE, of Putney, in the County of Surrey.
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of October, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-two, in the
sixteenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and succes-
sors, give and grant unto me, the said Anthony Fothergill Bainbridge,
Her special licence that I, the said Anthony Fothergill Bainbridge,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Anthony Fothergill Bainbridge, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to
time and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed,
should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands,
and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE
OF ARTIFICIAL FLIES AND OTHER BAIT FOR FISH," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Anthony Fothergill Bainbridge, by an
instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed
in the Great Scal Patent Office within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Anthony Fothergill Bainbridge,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement thereof (that is to say):
This Invention has for its object the so constructing the wings or
projections of artificial bait that such bait shall have peculiar elasticity,
and, if desired, rotate when in the water by reason of the wings or
projection being attached by means of elastic and flexible connections

page_text: made of wire, vulcanized india-rubber, gutta-percha, or other flexible or
elastic material.
And in order that my said Invention, and the manner in which the
same is to be performed, may be more fully understood and readily
carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the means pursued by me.
Heretofore the wings and projecting parts of artificial flies and bait
have been fastened to the hooks or to the baits themselves directly by
being bound to or thereon; and the object of my Invention is, to
employ a springy or clastic or flexible material, to obtain position and
elasticity, in place of depending on the material of which such wings,
fins, or projecting parts are composed for position and elasticity; and in
order to be able from time to time to vary the positions of the wings,
finis, and projecting parts of such artificial bait, I apply annealed wire
between the wings or projecting parts and the hook or body of the bait,
by which the position of the wings, fins, or projections may from time
to time be varied, and the same fly or bait used in different states. or
conditions; for instance, the wings or projections may be laid close to
the body, and appear as if at rest when on the water; or by causing
them to stand off from the body, and to be placed obliquely thereto, they
may be the means of causing the bait to revolve when in the water; or
they may be made to assume other positions. I use for making the
wings and projections thin sheet horn, gutta-percha, talc, and other
natters not injured by wet, and I color them to represent the parts of
the fly or artificial bait desired.
The materials. I usually employ and prefer are sheet horn for the
wings, fins, and such like parts, stained, dyed, or painted to suit the
pattern, and of suitable thickness'; and I usually put them on with
-vulcanized thread and annealed wire combined, as hereafter stated. To
make a fly's wings I take a sheet of horn, similar to that used by
lantern makers, but thinner (it will be better sometimes to soak the
horn first). I cut out the shape required, which varies with different
insects. I cut a small nick in the end which comes near the body, and
bore a hole a little above; see Figure 1; I then take about an inch of
vulcanized thread (say No. 30, or No. 36, for ordinary small flies,) and
having cut a fine point, I put it through the hole and strain the india-

page_text: rubber tight with the aid of the teeth and the finger and thumb, and I
pass the wing to about the middle of the india-rubber, see Figure 2.
I then take the wing between the left forefinger and thumb, and pass a
single tie loop of fine sad-coloured silk, well waxed, over the elastic
ends, and strain them over the fore-finger, and retain them by the next
finger, and I draw the loop tight just in the nick of the wing, and tic
a knot, see Figure 3. I then take about two and a half inches of
uncleaned annealed brass wire, the finest drawn (using it single for
small flies, double or more for larger flies or stronger wire), and I
bring the ends together, and by the aid of a pair of pliers I twist the
wire from a, to b, Figure 4. I hold the twisted part in the left hand,
and I place the wing in the fork or untwisted part of the wire, and
with the pliers twist the other ends of the wire up to the india-rubber
just below the tie, and leave only just sufficient space between the tie
and the wire to allow of free play to the wing when the wires on either
sides are bent down (see Figure 4). I then bend the wires down so as
to be in the same line with the wing, see Figure 5. I then bind
together with well waxed sad-colored silk the wires and india-rubber
ends for about a quarter of an inch, taking care to leave uncovered
enough of the wire nearest the wing to operate on hereafter for
controlling the wing; I treat the other wing in the same way. I treat
also the fins of fish and projections of baits in a similar manner.
feathers are to be used (and they answer well for some flies), I tie the
bone of the feather and the india-rubber tightly together, and bind
them neatly for about one twelfth of an inch, at a suitable length for
the wing; I then cut off the superfluous bone, and I affix the con-
trolling wire as before, immediately below the binding. For some flies
I use four wings, and make sometimes the inner of horn, and some-
times the outer, in either case, I then sometimes thus construct the
other wings:-I take a sufficient number of the strands of feathers to
form a wing, and tying them first round a piece of india-rubber, bind
them neatly for about one twelfth of an inch at the required length of
the wing, and immediately below the binding affix the controlling wire
as before. Having made the wings, fins, or projections, I usually bind
them to the hook, or fasten them to the bait with their upper ends in
If

page_text: the direction of the line, leaving out only sufficient of the wire to
operate on when they are bent back to their proper position, see
Figure 6. When the wings have been bound on, as at Figure 6, I
bring them to the position, Figure 7, and complete the fly in the
ordinary way. With a pair of pliers I grasp the end of the wire left
uncovered, and give whatever position I desire to the wings, fins, or
projections. When rotation is desired, I need hardly say a swivel on
the line at a short distance from the bait or fly is necessary. In those
cases where the artificial bait does not have wings or projections, and
yet where it is desirable to give to them rotation or movement in the
water, I apply wings to the line at a small distance from the bait, the
wings in such case being prepared as above explained.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the
manner of performing the same, I would have it understood that other
elastic and flexible matter than vulcanized india-rubber and annealed
wire may be used; but what I claim is, the putting on the wings of
flies and fins or projections of baits with artificially elastic, flexible, and
controllable connections or articulations, as above explained.
In witness whereof, I, the said Anthony Fothergill Bainbridge,
have hereunto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-seventh day
of April, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred
and fifty-three.
Witness,
S. CARPMEAL.
ANTHONY F. BAINBRIDGE. (L.S.)