Bodkin / Patterns

Gray Hackle

Wet Fly · Trout · Panfish · Intermediate · 5 versions

Reference Recipe

  • Hook Standard wet-fly hook, 10-16
  • Thread Black 8/0 (70 denier)

Materials

  • Tail Red buzzer wrap (hackle fibers or dyed hackle tip)
  • Body Peacock ice dub (2-3 herls)
  • Rib Gold middle (fine tinsel (optional))
  • Hackle Grizzly (soft) (1 feather)

How to tie it

  1. Mount the hook and start thread at the bend.
  2. Tie in a short red tail about one gap long.
  3. Bind in the gold rib, then two or three peacock herls; twist the herls into a rope and wrap a full body forward.
  4. Counter-wrap the gold rib forward in 4-5 turns to protect the herl and tie off.
  5. Tie in a soft grizzly hen hackle and take two or three turns as a swept-back wet collar.
  6. Sweep the fibers back and down, build a small head, and whip finish.
  7. Keep the hackle soft and sparse so it pulses on the swing.

Other versions

4 more in the app: Grey: Classic Recipe, Grey: Gregg Dressing (1940), Grey peacock, Peacock.

Tying videos

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