Relatively few examples of flies tied by Dr Bell have survived to this day and some are reproduced in the slideshow below. Nevertheless, although there are not many, they do tell us a great deal about his strategy in innovating flies to replicate the creatures that he came across as a result of the multitude of autopsies that he conducted at Blagdon.

It is a well to remember that Dr Bell's patterns were invented at a time when the standard patterns of the day would be a Peter Ross, Invicta, Dunkeld or Butcher, all bright and flashy 'attractor' flies designed to catch the attention of the trout or else arouse their curiosity. By contrast Dr Bell's patterns were subdued in colouration in order to mimic the natural insects present in Blagdon Water. It is pertinent to note that none of his flies incorporate tinsel, none have wings and none have tails either. This demonstrates very clearly that the doctor was unafraid to break with tradition and, rather than follow the prevailing fashion of the day, he designed flies that he considered the trout would mistake for food.