Here's how my brain works...

[Snaggy]

I get a bit excited and frantic when it comes to fly fishing. I started this post and it seems I need to slow down a bit but sooner or later I would like to attempt some of these more difficult works of art. Here's the thread I originally called Grey Ghost shopping list...

After viewing a few "classic" flies I thought I'd do some research and found a bit o' history on the grey ghost. I found a nice looking one through the Orvis Website (not nearly as nice as a few I saw in this forum) and C/P'd this...

Name-Gray Ghost Streamer

Difficulty-5

Popular sizes-06, 08, 10, 12

Hook Type-6 x long streamer

Thread-Black 6/0

Body-Orange floss with flat silver tinsel tag.

Ribbing-Flat silver tinsel

Wing-4 gray saddle hackles over golden pheasant crest curving downward

Other Materials-Throat: 3 or 4 strands of peacock herl over sparse bunch of white bucktail over golden pheasant crest curving upward.

Shoulders: silver pheasant body feathers.

Cheek: jungle cock

Notes Most tiers leave off the difficult-to-find and illegal-to-import jungle cock.

The Jungle Cock or JC seems a bit expensive but I did find some online places that sell 10 or so individual ones for 7 dollars. Are there other alternatives other than leaving it off altogether? The JC really makes the fly.
So far I have the 6/0 thread and silver tinsel. Everything else minus the JC should be obtainable at the fly shops around here.

I also have no idea what "Wing-4 gray saddle hackles over golden pheasant crest curving downward" is. I'm guessing there are many different wing designs and different materials used. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Should I start with something simpler with similar materials and process?

Could someone recommend WHAT I should start out with. Hook size...etc. I've tied a boat load of streamers, wooly buggers, nymphs and other hackle/maribou flies but nothing like these with the cheeks and wings and shoulders.

The skill level says 5 so don't laugh when I post my first one.

<°((((~{

 

[fyshstykr]

Hello Snaggy,
I was just on e-bay last night and seen alot of "J.C" for sale on there. Hopefully you can find some that's resonably priced. :icon_smil

 

[Frank Whiton]

Hi Snaggy,

Here are a couple different Gray Ghost. The Orvis Ghost doesn't have the Jungle Cock and they added the dark back.

Orvis Gray Ghost

Here is another

Another one that shows the Golden Pheasant Crest as throat.

Snaggy you should be able to come up with something based on these examples. I believe the bottom fly is closest to the Classic Ghost.

Frank

 

[Frank Whiton]

Hi again Snaggy,

Here is a Grey Ghost that is tied like the original. You can see the Grey saddle hackles over the Golden Pheasant Crest.

Frank

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