Randall Kaufmann's Lake Dragon

[chris williams]

I stand corrected if this was the only fly ever to be 'patented' but about twenty years ago in the UK, Trevor Housby with certainly the first British attempt at a fly patent, did this on the 'Dog Nobbler'. For those who don't know this was in shorthand a precursor to a Wooly Bugger, except i.l.o. the goldbead he pinched on a split shot and painted an eye. Many people including myself were very p'd off as this was really only a minor advanvement of lures the Hawaaians had been making for hundreds of years, and many including myself often tied flies with big marabou tails, hackled bodies and used split shot for a jigging action. Anyway all his competitor fly tying companies simply brought out flies tied almost identically and changed the name slightly, like Frog Nobblers, Puppies etc etc, taking the pee out of this guy. He was incidentally a helluva nice guy and a small water/big trout specialist. I don't think anyone ended up being sued by him for breach of his patent!
As long as guys do the right thing and acknowledge their sources on patterns I don't think it's a train smash. If you're writing something formal then dropping a line to the author/inventor prior to using same I feel is the decent thing to do.

[ShaunF]

I think the issue with this was more along the lines of taking a scan out of someone's book which is copywrited, rather than the pattern itself.


Do a search on Google books, you may find something there, otherwise if you don't come right, let me know, I tie quite a nice dragon imitation and can do a tying sequence for you next week when I'm back at home.

[rols]

I think the issue with this was more along the lines of taking a scan out of someone's book which is copywrited, rather than the pattern itself.


Do a search on Google books, you may find something there, otherwise if you don't come right, let me know, I tie quite a nice dragon imitation and can do a tying sequence for you next week when I'm back at home.

that's it shaun
i just did'nt feel safe displaying it on here. so we went the other route