Allgrouse

[UC Steve]

grouseII 004 (500x428).jpg (91.34 KiB) Viewed 6479 times

From my nativist period in the 70's. Original was without midge flash & reverse wound with fine wire. Still, I think, the most realistic twist body I've seen, with the banding grouse tail creates. Gray phase & brown phase will cover a lot of mayfly species. This one is constructed entirely of red (brown) phase ruffed grouse, a gray ruffed grouse creates the same result in gray.

Hook: #12 Mustad 3366-BR
Thread: primrose Pearsall's Gossamer silk
Hackle: grouse body feather
Tail: 3 grouse tail fibers
Body: grouse tail fibers & a single strand of pearl midge flash twisted with the tag of the tying silk
Thorax: grouse, fibers taken from the bronze band near the tip of the tail feather

[tie2fish]

Excellent, Steve. The overall effect looks very much like a mayfly to my eye ... dainty at the rear and larger at the front.

[letumgo]

Marvelous pattern, Steve. The grouse fibers provide a natural beauty. Elegant. A true fishing fly.

Well done, sir.

[swellcat]

It's an appealing fly, for sure. Maybe a neo-Nativist revival is in order.

It could also be an engaging swap theme; Tie Local(ly) makes sense for some of the same reasons Eat Local(ly) does.
---

[letumgo]

I like that idea. Sounds like an interesting swap theme.

[Smuggler]

Beautiful Steve. Simple and effective

[UC Steve]

It's an appealing fly, for sure. Maybe a neo-Nativist revival is in order.

It could also be an engaging swap theme; Tie Local(ly) makes sense for some of the same reasons Eat Local(ly) does.
---

Swellcat, went for 4 years through the early 70's fishing nothing but indigenous flies. 45 miles from town. No internet to order stuff from. Totally under the influence of Skues & Leisenring, zealous in the way only guys in their 20's can be. With 4 babies & a bunch of livestock to feed, budget dictated fly tying materials be limited to essentials like thread, hooks & wire. Wasn't a problem because the neighborhood provided everything you needed (my girl's knitting basket provided the rest). Think I caught more trout during that period than at any other time. Of course, I was a lot more energetic. But even now, the patterns I fish most of the time still contain a lot of native (regional) elements as I believe these things work mojo on native trout.

"neo-Nativist" I like. Never been involved in a swap & don't know how it works, but I like that theme.

Thanks for your comments guys. You are neo-classicists of the first water.

Steve

[Roadkill]

A well tied generic imitation.

[fishhead]

Yes very nice pattern you got here. Simple yet effective natural looking pattern. I'm sure it taken many trout with this pattern. With all the flash and bright colors used today I find as I'm sure many of you do that the more natural drab colored patterns still work the best.

[William Anderson]

Steve, this is construction type and profile I really like it. Beautifully tied. And I dig the name too. Along with Sweelcat's call for a Neo-Nativist swap, It reminds me of a swap I hosted as one of the IBF swaps years ago where the flies were tied from a single feather. You've come near that with this one. Really nice.

w