FLY
Classic Wet Fly
Grizzly King
Tied by Christian Andrews
Grizzly King recipe
| Hook | #8 - 12 sproat |
|---|---|
| Thread | claret |
| Tail | red, long (turkey shoulder) |
| Rib | gold oval tinsel |
| Body | green dubbing |
| Wing | rolled mallard flank |
| Hackle | soft grizzly |
About this fly
from the illustration in Favorite Flies and Their Histories (1892) by Mary Orvis Marbury
What the Grizzly King imitates
- Fancy / attractor (imitates nothing specific)
Where the Grizzly King came from
- Named by James Wilson, Scotland. Supposed to have been a favourite of Prof. James Wilson (brother of John Wilson/Christopher North) and named by him; hedged as tradition.Source: Marbury, Favorite Flies and Their Histories (1892), p.289
- Originated by James Wilson, Scotland. Attributes the Grizzly King to zoologist James Wilson, brother of the Professor's namesake; no sources cited. / States Grizzly King (and Queen of the Waters) originated with zoologist James Wilson, brother of John Wilson.Source: 12 Killer Wet Flies - From 1850s to Today (Drifthook) | The Professor: A Fly History (MidCurrent, Fred Klein)
- Originated by John Wilson, Scotland. Credits Professor John Wilson with creating the Grizzly King as a classic Scottish fly; no date or source.Source: Grizzly King Fly (Fish4Flies)
- Popularized by Seth Green. Seth Green's published favourite bass cast lists the Grizzly King; he notes fly-makers called it the 'Under-Wind'.Source: Marbury, Favorite Flies and Their Histories (1892), p.190
Where sources tell it differently, each account is listed with its own source.
In the old books
Original dressing as pictured in Orvis & Cheney, Fishing with the Fly (1883), Plate XIV, No. 23. The photo above is a later tie, not the original.
Inside the vault every material on this fly opens to its own card, and you can save the fly to your own boxes.
