Developed by Greg Miheve, this is my “go to” fly. It’s the first one I tie on and stick with it unless there is a refusal. The proof of the flies effectiveness is evident when I count how many I have left at the end of each year. I tie several dozen before I leave home for the season and I’m lucky to have three left when I get home. Some I discard because they are battered by fish but most end up in the fly boxes of other anglers who have asked “what am I using?” You don’t often see this fly available on a commercial basis. My guess is it doesn’t have the jazz of rubber legs or vibrant colour so doesn’t call out to anglers “buy me.” Nor have I ever had a guide pick this one out of my box. As a fly tier for over forty years (geez I have got to stop saying that) I normally “tinker” with flies but I have stayed true to the original pattern of the Greg’s Flats Fly. It’s simple profile with large “claws” seems to do the trick. I have tied the claws with tan, sand and white calf tail through the years but found the white to be the most effective. Recipe: Hook: 34007 #4 and #6 Thread: tan 6/0 Eyes: silver bead chain to fit the hook Claws: white calf tail Antennae: two strands of pearl Krystal Flash per claw Underbody: pearl tinsel or Flashabou over thread Bands: tan thread wound to form three or four bands Outer body: clear v-rib spaced so hackle will wind between Hackle: tan or ginger saddle hackle tied in by tip, wound forward There are a few steps to this fly but overall it’s not difficult to tie. The claws take the most time, so I tend to tie a dozen flies of one size first, tying in only the claws and antennae and then putting it aside. Remember these are claws not a tail. So they don’t flair straight out the back but are tilted upward (when bead is on the underside). Finishing the fly is easy. Tie in the V-Rib, tinsel and hackle to the bend. Wrap your tinsel forward to form the underbody and tie off. Cut the thread and return it to the bend, and make your four bands forward. Wrap the V-Rib next leaving space for the hackle. Wrap the hackle the length of the body (you can strip one side of hackle if you like) and tie off. Cut all of the hackle from the underside off the fly so it sits flat and add glue liberally to the body to hold the hackle in place and keep it from breaking.
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