Pearsall's Gossamer Silk Diaries
Often, the materials and substrates that we lay our eyes and hands on every day become so familiar to us that they become second nature. Manipulating our brain and hands to work as one takes time and vast amounts of patience. There is a cadence we find after years of practice and repetition that supports a kind of “craft dexterity,” for lack of a better word. The materials we handle daily are both trusted and perceived by our brains as part of our inner rituals. They become essential to our existence as craftsmen.
If it is truly a ritual in our lives, it eventually becomes part of you on a deeper level. From the time I was a little boy, my father taught me the “nature of materials,” and as an engineer, he took this very seriously. Wood, alloys, and other substrates were meant to be used for building and creating. He was a master craftsman. He wore his MIT school ring with great pride. My father constantly tried to figure out better ways to achieve higher levels of both quality and efficiency. When he was working on a project, he was all in. His materials and tools were always top-notch.
Above photo: One of my personal favorite colors, Pearsall's “Primrose Yellow”
There are times when you have to pivot and recalibrate as materials and substrates change, evolve, and even disappear. Pearsall's Gossamer Silk ceased production in 2012. It was a company that started in 1795 primarily to supply silk threads for needlework, embroidery, and ladies' knitted accessories. The standout feature of these threads as a fly tyer and rod maker is their almost magical properties of translucency. Pearsall's silk thread changes opacity and reflectivity when wet, giving the impression of a living insect when wrapped around a hook shank. When varnished with amber-infused oils, spar, or alkyds, it is pure alchemy at work. The results are stunning and are never taken for granted every time I touch windings with a red sable brush.
As my cache slowly dwindles over time, I get sad because I always enjoy the thread's feel between my fingers. Its tactile and shimmery qualities will be missed when I reach for my very last spool. Some of my personal favorite colors are Primrose Yellow, Scarlet, Dark Claret, and Highland Green. In Naples, I cherish my remaining spools of Black and Scarlet. I use these typically to wrap ferrules exclusively. So the bittersweet end of my Gossamer and Naples threads has slowly spun onto my bamboo rods and now rest in the hands of others and my personal rods.
In time, the name Pearsall's and iconic labels on these tiny little spools will fade away. My memories will always be cherished, as well as the countless hours I was blessed with while winding and imagining my next rod or fly.
Thank you for letting me share
Clint J. Bova
