Dry fly hackle Brown hackle (One feather, sized to the hook (one size smaller than the grizzly))
Dry fly hackle Grizzly hackle (One feather, sized to the hook)
How to tie it
Lay a base of black thread on a size 12 standard-length dry fly hook. Do not go longer than standard, this is a deliberately stubby fly.
Stack a small bunch of black bear hair, thin it by about half, and tie it in at the rear as a tail a full body length long. Keep it on top by pulling it back before you tighten; if it wants to spin, throw a loop under it to prop it up.
Bind the bear hair butts forward to the front of the body area to beef up the underbody, then trim the excess.
Tie in two grizzly hackle tips for the wings with a couple of light wraps, flip them up to check height, then secure them, trim the butts, take the thread behind them and put four or five wraps in front to stand them upright.
Divide the wings with one or two figure-eight X wraps and adjust them until they sit even; trim any fibers pointing forward.
Take the thread just behind the wings and tie in two strands of peacock herl, snipping the brittle first inch off first. Leave the thread hanging halfway along the body.
Wrap the herl forward in touching turns, twisting the thread in with the herl to keep the strands together and add strength, and build a modest body up to the wings. Tie off and trim.
Select a brown and a grizzly hackle sized to the hook, the brown one size smaller, and tie both in behind the wings.
Wrap the brown first: two wraps behind the wings, two or three in front. Tie it off and trim, then wrap the grizzly the same way, zigzagging through the brown for a full Smoky Mountain-style hackle.
Tie off, build a small head, whip finish and cement.