Pattern Notes:
Carrie Stevens was truly a self-taught flytier, and as such she often referred to her flies' anatomical parts by the "wrong" names. This tendency, coupled with the scantness of notes she kept on her patterns, has created some confusion as to the correct recipes for her patterns. To further the confusion, she often tinkered with the details of her patterns and was at times restricted by outside influences (World War II, for example) from acquiring her preferred materials, creating variations within her patterns. At the risk of perpetuating this confusion, I've decided to honor the spartan charm of her pattern notes by recording in bold the recipe for the Gray Ghost as she would likely have written it. My personal notes are parenthetical.
Orange Hook (Carrie means by this that the hook is wrapped in orange floss. I've used Hot Orange Pearsall's Marabou Silk, Carrie's preference, unwound prior to tying)
(Tinsel: 100% solid platinum, milled flat and polished in 8 steps. Carrie usually made no mention of tinsel in her notes unless it covered the entire hook shank, assuming any tier would know to include silver tinsel unless otherwise specified.)
Long Yellow Crest - Peacock Herl - White Hair (The yellow crest is Golden Pheasant, tied on the top of the shank, the herl is tied beneath the crest on top of the hook (Carrie also sometimes put the herl on the bottom of the shank), and the white hair is Cashmere Goat (Carrie referred to it as Capra, the Latin name), her preferred but only sporadically available material, tied on the bottom of the shank.)
Wing: 4 Long Gray Streamers (Carrie used many different shades of hackle on this, her most famous fly. I use a color which I believe is as close to her preferred color as is possible to ascertain today.)
Throat: White - Short Yellow Crest (White hackle fibers and Golden Pheasant Crest.)
Shoulder: Silver Pheasant, Jungle Cock
Head: Black - Orange Band (Black and Hot Orange Pearsall's Gossamer Silk.)
Tying Notes:
With the exception of using a solid gold hook and solid platinum tinsel, I tie the Gray Ghost as much as possible as Carrie would have. I tie it in hand, without a vise. The thread, floss, and tinsel are all wound the “wrong” way (what I call "counterwound"). The wings and shoulders are lacquered together at their bases prior to attaching them to the fly and then tied to the side of the hook shank. I hope Carrie would appreciate the extent to which I've tried to honor both her materials and techniques to make each fly a special tribute to her.
Edition Size: Open
Release Date: 11/22/08
Overseas Shipping: No shipping outside the United States (Jungle Cock is listed in CITES Appendix II).
Hook: Metal: Handmade, solid 18K gold. Length: 6.9 cm (2.7 in). Gape: 0.90 cm (0.20 in). Stamped on rear side with my signature.
Necklace: The fly comes mounted on a bold, solid 14K gold chain. It may be purchased without the chain as well (see priceing below).
Pricing: $1465 (necklace and pendant - includes shipping)
$ 965 (fly only - includes shipping)
$ 590 (hook only - includes shipping)