The Grizzly and Gray

[outsider]

Many decades ago I belonged to a fly fishing club (Berks Anglers) and one of the dry fly patterns we used was named the Grizzly and Gray. It was a good all purpose dry fly, particularly when tied on a size 16 to 20 hook. and it was simplicity personified: grizzly tail, gray body, grizzly hackle.

Tonight I revisited this pattern and tied a few. I don't know who invented this pattern, but I can't wait to revisit it on the streams next year. Anyone ever hear of this pattern? Thoughts?

 

[troutbert]

outsider wrote:
Many decades ago I belonged to a fly fishing club (Berks Anglers) and one of the dry fly patterns we used was named the Grizzly and Gray. It was a good all purpose dry fly, particularly when tied on a size 16 to 20 hook. and it was simplicity personified: grizzly tail, gray body, grizzly hackle.

Tonight I revisited this pattern and tied a few. I don't know who invented this pattern, but I can't wait to revisit it on the streams next year. Anyone ever hear of this pattern? Thoughts?

I think that pattern is the same as the No Name Midge, which is attributed to Ed Shenk.

This fly was pretty well known back in the early 1970s.

 

[outsider]

Troutbert, you could be right. I went totally retro and tied them on size 16 and 18 Orvis Supreme up-eye hooks. The only thing I added was clear mono rib. They look sweet!

 

[afishinado]

outsider wrote:
Many decades ago I belonged to a fly fishing club (Berks Anglers) and one of the dry fly patterns we used was named the Grizzly and Gray. It was a good all purpose dry fly, particularly when tied on a size 16 to 20 hook. and it was simplicity personified: grizzly tail, gray body, grizzly hackle.

Tonight I revisited this pattern and tied a few. I don't know who invented this pattern, but I can't wait to revisit it on the streams next year. Anyone ever hear of this pattern? Thoughts?

I believe it was invented by a guy that was tying Adams dries, but ran out of brown hackle.....;-)

 

[MKern]

I always thought that pattern was call the mosquito?

It's a very good generic pattern. Grizzly hackle is a great hackle (if not the best) for imitation patterns and grey is pretty much the color of everything when in front of a well lit background, like the sky.

 

[afishinado]

MKern wrote:
I always thought that pattern was call the mosquito?

It's a very good generic pattern. Grizzly hackle is a great hackle (if not the best) for imitation patterns and grey is pretty much the color of everything when in front of a well lit background, like the sky.

I believe the mosquito pattern used stripped hackle for the body with contrasting light and dark segments.

The Grizzly hackle is more like an Adams pattern without the brown hackle and wings.

 

[outsider]

I don't put wings on the grizzly and gray. I believe the original mosquito pattern called for moose mane body, and when wrapped gave a similar affect of light and dark as in afish's photo.

 

[MKern]

Oh yeah. You guys are right.

 

[outsider]

I looked up the original mosquito pattern and I was correct. It called for one light and one dark moose mane fiber wound together to form the body.

 

[IdratherbePhishing]

I'm pretty sure the guy who invented the no name was a guy on big spring. And had given them to Ed. I may be wrong on this but I know Ed received the credit.

 

[LeTortAngler2]

Id like to add that the No-Name was tied without a tail and a wing. It was just muskrat dubbing with grizzly hackle on sz 18-28 hooks.

 

[outsider]

I found my copy of Fishing the Midge by Ed Koch, and he does credit Ed Shenk for the No Name midge, designed to imitate gray Diptera. He also names Norm Lightner because they both used the same fly. The fly was tied without a tail.

 

[ukeyman]

There is also an old wet fly named the April Grey. It has an Oxford grey wool body ribbed with a stripped peacock quill and grizzly hackle.
Also, the original name of the Henryville Special was the No Name, tied by Harold Brobst of Palmerton, long before it reached the Henryville Lodge where it got renamed.