I am currently studying a group of flies sold by the Paul H. Young Co. Many of these are specialties like the Strawman nymph. Others are traditional patterns, such as these three McGinty wet flies. They came
from the fly box of a former Chrysler executive from Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. Other trout flies in his box were untouched, but you can tell that he often
attached a McGinty to his tippet. All three flies show signs of wear, and two still have a bit of tippet attached.
In his book Fly Patterns and Their Origins, Harold Hinsdill Smedley admits that his "unstinted research has failed to disclose any authoritative history of this fly," but he quotes William B. Mershon (angling author, timber company executive, and early conservationist) as one old-timer who relied upon the McGinty for everyday angling: "There was another favorite fly that you do not hear much about these days - the McGinty. I used to use it for floating under the overhanging tag alders of the West Branch of the Rifle… almost instantly it would be taken by a big trout, for the big ones lurked there. Such trout are not to be had in Michigan, these days."
Smedley speculated that a popular song of the 1880's, "Down Went McGinty to the Bottom of the Sea," provided the name for this fly. However, George E. Emanuel of Fly Anglers On-Line tells us very confidently that Charles McGinty of Chicago created this fly in 1883. Unfortunately, no references are provided.
"Trout of every description absolutely love these," says Emanuel. But Gary LaFontaine said that the McGinty worked well only after quick, afternoon rainstorms, and was "a lousy fly the rest of the time," thus contradicting both Mershon and Emanuel (and possibly Charles McGinty too!).
Does anyone know another story of the McGinty's origin? Has any ever fished one, in fair weather or foul?
In his book Fly Patterns and Their Origins, Harold Hinsdill Smedley admits that his "unstinted research has failed to disclose any authoritative history of this fly," but he quotes William B. Mershon (angling author, timber company executive, and early conservationist) as one old-timer who relied upon the McGinty for everyday angling: "There was another favorite fly that you do not hear much about these days - the McGinty. I used to use it for floating under the overhanging tag alders of the West Branch of the Rifle… almost instantly it would be taken by a big trout, for the big ones lurked there. Such trout are not to be had in Michigan, these days."
Smedley speculated that a popular song of the 1880's, "Down Went McGinty to the Bottom of the Sea," provided the name for this fly. However, George E. Emanuel of Fly Anglers On-Line tells us very confidently that Charles McGinty of Chicago created this fly in 1883. Unfortunately, no references are provided.
"Trout of every description absolutely love these," says Emanuel. But Gary LaFontaine said that the McGinty worked well only after quick, afternoon rainstorms, and was "a lousy fly the rest of the time," thus contradicting both Mershon and Emanuel (and possibly Charles McGinty too!).
Does anyone know another story of the McGinty's origin? Has any ever fished one, in fair weather or foul?
Interesting photo. If it is any resemblance of the original
it would explain alot. 
Emerson Hough--who wrote the Chicago and the
West column for Forest & Stream--referred to the McGinty as the "Colonel McGinty" fly in the summer of 1902. This is also the earliest reference
in print I can find for the fly. In 1903, Hough writes that he was the "first to fish the McGinty fly" in the state of Michigan. The first catalog
reference I could find is the 1903 William Mills catalog, implying by that time it had become popular enough to be carried by a major fly tying house. If I
were trying to track down the origins, I'd ditch what others have written and start by trying to find the first known reference.
