Junglecock and the Gray Ghost

[akruss]

I'm about to start tieing freshwater/trout streamers and bucktails. My favorite streamer is the Gray Ghost. When last I tied these I had a really good Junglecock neck. I don't have any JC nails anymore and went online to see what was available. There are a number of them on eBay but most of them are pretty well split. My online supplier doesn't have any necks but sells cards of plastic nails. What are you guys using? I've tried starling but it sure doesn't look the same. Do the plastic substitutes look any good? I really prefer the classic recipe but might be able to get away with a glue on eye - hmm, maybe not. Where would you buy a JC neck?

I read up on the Gray Ghost fly pattern and learned the golden pheasant is supposed to hang down over the floss body and the peacock herl is supposed to be below the hook. News to me. I used a little golden pheasant for the throat and the herl over the top of the wing and thought I was pretty fancy, LOL. Any thoughts?

[biggie_robs]

I don't know, as I haven't tied that pattern, but if you catch fish on your Gray Ghost then keep fishing it!

To answer your question, I would buy JC at one of two places:

1) Locally, the Natick Outdoor Store carries tiny ziplock bags with ten feathers in them in varying sizes. I feel like they're pretty pricey. I have not been very tempted to purchase, but if I had a real need then that's where I'd go. They're good people.

2) Last time I was at Kittery Trading Post in Kittery, Maine, they had two different grades of JC necks for sale. I forget the prices ($75 is sticking in my head, but I could be wrong), but I was tempted to buy even though I didn't have a need, so it must've been a good price. At some point, I will probably wish I had purchased a neck. That was last winter, I think. I don't know what they have currently.

KTP has an online presence, but they don't have all of their specials available online. You might try calling them and asking about JC.

My rambling probably is no help to you, but good luck in your search!

[williamhj]

I bought some nails from these folks to use for feather inlays on rods. Not sure if they sell full skins, but they do sell nails and were easy to work with.

[Diver Dan]

Hey akruss, welcome to the forum in case we missed that. Second, how many do you need? I might be able to help you out here.

[theboz]

Used the plastic JC nails on a couple of saltwater patterns they look fine and hold up. Unless your a purist and are competing in a tying competition I think they are a decent substitute. Just think you can say you saved a Jungle Cock ! Haha!

---------- Post added at 05:09 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:07 PM ----------

Oh and welcome to the forum!

[wt bash]

Look for the the fella from Estonia on Ebay. They're split yeah but if you're gonna fish them no big deal. If you want you can hit the back side with fexament or Sally's. I don't bother anymore cause after a fish or two they split on their own.

[Diver Dan]

Originally Posted by wt bash

Look for the the fella from Estonia on Ebay. They're split yeah but if you're gonna fish them no big deal. If you want you can hit the back side with fexament or Sally's. I don't bother anymore cause after a fish or two they split on their own.

I got a couple necks from him also. One of the necks had almost no split nails. I also got them for a pretty reasonable price. What happened was I must of caught the right time to buy. He had three necks that looked good, but I was not going to be around for my usual last 8 seconds sniping routine so I put what I thought was still a good deal as a max bid on three necks. I figured I'd probably get one but ended up with all three. It'll be a while before I run out.

I use the unsplit ones as inlays, and fix the split ones for flies like wt said.

[s fontinalis]

avoid the plastic JC like the plague if you are tying a display fly! for fishing, i wouldnt worry to much about using either.

As for the looks of a Gray Ghost, this is one of the first streamers i tied (this fly isnt very good). The long topping underwing has fallen down in this photo, but i should rest right on top of the body and extend beyond the tail.



This grizzly gray ghost variant (originated by Graywolf) is exactly as the a gray ghost should look except it has grizzly hackle wings instead of dun.



One other caveat here, and you'll be hard pushed to find it in any book or online reference bar two or three - there is actually a white hackle throat on the gray ghost which has been left off virtually all gray ghost pattern listings in print to day.
For more information on this you can check Don Bastian's blog. if mods remove the active link, you can do a google search for it.

Note that neither of the flies i tied have this white hackle throat, and the gray wolf grizzly gray ghost did not have it visible in the photo i reproduced the fly from. Hope this helps you.

In terms of you tying the fly, i'd get a copy of Hilyard's Book 'Carrie Stevens: Maker of Rangeley Favorite Trout and Salmon Flies" for an accurate (except the white hackle throat) pattern description.

[wt bash]

Originally Posted by Diver Dan

I got a couple necks from him also. One of the necks had almost no split nails. I also got them for a pretty reasonable price. What happened was I must of caught the right time to buy. He had three necks that looked good, but I was not going to be around for my usual last 8 seconds sniping routine so I put what I thought was still a good deal as a max bid on three necks. I figured I'd probably get one but ended up with all three. It'll be a while before I run out.

I use the unsplit ones as inlays, and fix the split ones for flies like wt said.

I found that its mostly the larger nails that are split, atleast on the cape I got from him. I bought a C-cape for 30+ bucks and was really impressed with what I got for the money.

[s fontinalis]

I just bought a new JC cape from this guy

This is it.