This week’s Throw Back Thursday Fly is the Grey Ugly.
Recently, a potential customer contacted me to see if I would tie some Grey Ugly flies for him. I had never heard of this fly and did a quick Google search to learn about it.
Looking at an image of the fly, I thought it looked like a variant of a Renegade.
It also has similarities to the Griffith’s Gnat.
In my quick research, I found fly fishers use it to imitate midge clusters in small sizes.
I couldn’t find any references to the history of the fly. I searched some older books I have along with an Internet search.
What could be wrong with a fly using peacock herl and grizzly hackle?
If you know about the fly, please leave a Comment below.
Enjoy…go fish, stay safe!
I have been using this fly for years and it has always been a good-to-great producer for trout in Colorado’s mountain lakes. I usually tie it with grizzly hackle.
Just grey hackle and peacock hurl. I have never been ‘skunked’ on any lake or river that I have fished. It is the only fly that I can say that about.
I have tied it on 12 to 20 hooks. Dry, wet, and sinking. Up to 3X on 8 to 12.
A fun and easy fly to tie.
Enjoy!
Hi John,
There is a French or Spanish fly call ‘The Ugly’, ‘La Peute’.
It uses a dry fly or nymph hook, a thread body, and a hen mallard breast feather for hackle. The feather is tied in wet fly style and long barbs are cut slightly past the hook bend. The body may also be built using dubbing and peacock herl. One tier used CDC for the hackle.
Thanks for the Comment Ralph. I’ve never understood how we name flies.
John
Hi John,
I didn’t know it was called the Gray Ugly and have been fishing it for years. Thanks for the “education!” Even an old dog can learn new tricks!!
Tight Lines – Al Beatty