Gray Nymph

Moderators: William Anderson, letumgo

nfrechet
Posts: 916
Joined: Sat Jul 13, 2019 7:20 pm

Gray Nymph

Post by nfrechet » Mon Jan 31, 2022 8:22 am

Image

Gray Nymph

Hook - Mustad 3906 or equivalent, size 6-12
Thread - Gray
Tail - Grizzly hackle fibers
Body - Dubbed Muskrat fur with the guard hairs left in.
Body should be picked out to give a shaggy appearance
Hackle - Grizzly hen

Created in 1935 by Dee Vissing of Rigby, Idaho

Popular Fly Patterns - Terry Hellekson
Flytiers sure have a way at making things difficult
DOUGSDEN
Posts: 2506
Joined: Sun Feb 22, 2009 10:57 pm
Location: Sardis, Ohio

Re: Gray Nymph

Post by DOUGSDEN » Mon Jan 31, 2022 8:30 pm

Norm,
In it's own "Gray Way", this is a gorgeous pattern and we all know what a fish killer this pattern can be!
Great job as always Norm! You are indeed a forum treasure!
Dougsden
Fish when you can, not when you should! Anything short of this is just a disaster.
User avatar
redietz
Posts: 1726
Joined: Sat Feb 21, 2009 7:21 pm
Location: Central Maryland

Re: Gray Nymph

Post by redietz » Tue Feb 01, 2022 11:08 am

I wonder why the recommendation only went down to 12? That could easily be tied in an 18 or 20 and would catch a lot of fish.
Bob
DUBBN
Posts: 1627
Joined: Sat Jul 06, 2019 3:41 pm

Re: Gray Nymph

Post by DUBBN » Tue Feb 01, 2022 4:43 pm

redietz wrote: Tue Feb 01, 2022 11:08 am I wonder why the recommendation only went down to 12? That could easily be tied in an 18 or 20 and would catch a lot of fish.
This recipe to the Muskrat is the only one I have found. It came from the book "Masters of the Nymph. It was provided by a guide from Aspen Colorado. He started fishing nymphs in the Winter some time in the 60's. His name escapes me. I see where he suggests a hook size of 12 to 18.

At about the same time my father was fishing lakes with this pattern. His two favorite patterns were this Muskrat and a Streamer called the "Brown Bear". The Brown Bear is a Squirrel wing and tail streamer pattern.

When I started tying flies the Muskrat was still being produced and sold here in Western Colorado by a company named the Cardinal Fly Company from Jackson Hole Wyoming. I did not ever see the Muskrat tied smaller than a size 12. It ranged from 12 to a size 8. The Brown bear ranged in size from 10 to size 4. I thought I was a rebel when I started tying the Muskrat in sizes 16 and 18, and the Brown bear in size 10.

Perhaps a size 12 was thought to be a micro pattern here in the West at that time.

I know I enjoy seeing these some what older patterns.

Image
Image
User avatar
redietz
Posts: 1726
Joined: Sat Feb 21, 2009 7:21 pm
Location: Central Maryland

Re: Gray Nymph

Post by redietz » Tue Feb 01, 2022 8:37 pm

DUBBN wrote: Tue Feb 01, 2022 4:43 pm Perhaps a size 12 was thought to be a micro pattern here in the West at that time.
That's exactly what I was wondering about, and why that would have been the case.
Bob
nfrechet
Posts: 916
Joined: Sat Jul 13, 2019 7:20 pm

Re: Gray Nymph

Post by nfrechet » Wed Feb 02, 2022 6:52 am

the "muskrat nymph" in helleksons book (which i wasnt tying for this thread) also has the size as 10-20

just because a recipe call for limits on sizes, the tyers can choose to tie any size he wants

kinda similar but different?

Image

Gray Nymph

Image

Muskrat Nymph
Last edited by nfrechet on Wed Feb 02, 2022 7:46 am, edited 1 time in total.
Flytiers sure have a way at making things difficult
DUBBN
Posts: 1627
Joined: Sat Jul 06, 2019 3:41 pm

Re: Gray Nymph

Post by DUBBN » Wed Feb 02, 2022 7:44 am

nfrechet wrote: Wed Feb 02, 2022 6:52 am

just because a recipe call for limits on sizes, the tyers can choose to tie any size he wants
Yep.
tworod
Posts: 65
Joined: Sun Dec 12, 2021 9:12 pm

Re: Gray Nymph

Post by tworod » Wed Feb 02, 2022 2:41 pm

One of my all time favorites. Here is my iteration on a size 6 3906B.
It is a fly that I find is the antithesis of the pressured trout/small fly advice you hear today. It is just as good of a fly on spring creeks as it is on freestones in larger sizes. I believe it represents a cranefly larvae and so don't be reluctant tie and fish in larger sizes. When the Livingston spring creeks allowed keeping trout many years ago you would find that the fish were stuffed like sausages with cranefly larvae. It was amazing to see first hand what the fish were feeding on and it wasn't necessarily all of that small stuff on top.
Attachments
Gray Muskrat.jpg
Gray Muskrat.jpg (48.1 KiB) Viewed 16605 times
DUBBN
Posts: 1627
Joined: Sat Jul 06, 2019 3:41 pm

Re: Gray Nymph

Post by DUBBN » Wed Feb 02, 2022 4:03 pm

tworod wrote: Wed Feb 02, 2022 2:41 pm One of my all time favorites. Here is my iteration on a size 6 3906B.
It is a fly that I find is the antithesis of the pressured trout/small fly advice you hear today. It is just as good of a fly on spring creeks as it is on freestones in larger sizes. I believe it represents a cranefly larvae and so don't be reluctant tie and fish in larger sizes. When the Livingston spring creeks allowed keeping trout many years ago you would find that the fish were stuffed like sausages with cranefly larvae. It was amazing to see first hand what the fish were feeding on and it wasn't necessarily all of that small stuff on top.

Well done!

Your thoughts on your pattern representing a Cranefly makes alot of sense.

I have always thought the smaller sizes represented Fresh Water Shrimp. I think that was the old term for Scuds.

I am a sucker for Cranefly patterns. You gave me food for thought.
Variant
Posts: 356
Joined: Sun Jun 30, 2019 10:23 am

Re: Gray Nymph

Post by Variant » Thu Feb 03, 2022 11:13 am

I really like this thread ,there is a lot of good info. here.
Polly Rosborough in his book titled TYING AND FISHING THE FUZZY NYMPHS has a few patterns using the muskrat fur.
His Casual dress nymph, Fledermouse and Muskrat nymph pattern all use the beautiful muskrat fur.
It just goes to show the appeal of fish catching fur.

Lou
In sport,method is everything.The more the skill the method calls for,the higher it’s yield of emotional stir and satisfaction,the higher it’s place must be in a sportsman’s scale of values. RODERICK HAIG-BROWN
Post Reply