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Grey Moose

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Grey Moose

Edition: January 2026

Written by: Michael Taggert

Photographed By: Michael Taggert

Creator: Michael Taggert

This dry is a product of “What am I going to do with this material?”. I have not found a similar pattern, so this one is mine. It is tied in a classic quill manner. It uses three strands of moose mane for the body. Try to select two brown and one pink moose hair. The tail is sparse as moose body is a bit stiffer than deer and it doesn’t spin like deer hair. I use Polypropylene Yarn, so it floats even better and is easier to tie.

Tying Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KVhzq8h0GaY

Download PDF Version

MATERIALS

Hook: Classic Dry fly hook (in the example Mustad Heritage Classic Dry Fly hook size 10)

Thread: Uni 70d Black

Tail: Moose Body Hair

Body: Moose Mane

Hackle: Whitting #1 Brown Hackle

Wing: Lt Grey Polypropylene Yarn

Step 1. After fixing the hook into the vise, start your thread about a hook eye back. Wrap the thread to the rear of the hook’s shank.

Step 2. Snip out 4 or 5 fibers of moose body hair. Clean out the short fibers and fluff. Measure the tail fibers to about a hook shank in length and tie them on top of the hook so they extend straight out. Trim the tail fibers to the starting point of the thread and tie them down so that you get a smooth under body with your thread at the start of the tail.

Step 3. Apply some cobbler’s wax to the thread. Then select three moose mane fibers, 2 brown and 1 pink (I know it looks white).

Step 4. Spin your thread counterclockwise to open the twist of the thread. Position the main fibers so that they are brown, pink, brown on the hook and tie them in with close wraps for a smooth under-body. Take the thread to the “one third” position on the hook from the eye.

Step 5. Wrap the moose mane away from you in touching spirals. You will notice that one brown fiber will touch another brown fiber as you wrap. The pink fiber will be in the middle of the brown and give an almost candy cane appearance. Wrap the fibers to the thread and lock them down with the thread. Trim off the excess moose mane.

Step 6. Wrap the thread back over the moose mane until it is about at the halfway point of the hook shank. Then wrap back to the one third point. Apply Sally Hanson’s clear lacquer to the moose mane wraps.

Step 7. Snip a short piece of the yarn and fold it in half over the thread. Bring the yarn under and up to the top of the hook. This will trap the yarn under the weight of the bobbin. Make 2 or 3 wraps of thread to hold the yarn.

Step 8. Position the yarn perpendicular to the hook shank and make figure 8 wraps to hold the yarn in place.

Step 9. Post-wrap the base of the wings and figure 8 the posts until they hold at the V- shape of the wings. Put some locking wraps in front of the wings then work the thread back to the halfway point.

Step 10. Prep and tie in your hackle. The dark shiny side should face forward. Tie down the quill tip and end with your thread just behind the hook eye.

Step 11. Wrap the hackle about 5 times behind the wing and three to four in front of the wings. This will give you a heavily hackled fly. Tie off the hackle and trim away the excess.

Step 12. Whip finish the head of the fly with a 3 or 4 turn whip finish.

Step 13. Apply head cement to the head. Trim the wings to just above the hackle.

Editors Notes: Comments from the editor.

Please note: The demonstration you are viewing makes no claim, implied or otherwise, that the presenter or demonstrator of the fly pattern was the original creator of the fly. This is the guest tier's version of this fly and it may differ from the creator's or other versions and variations.

Please Credit FFI Website or FFI Fly Tying Group Fly of the Month with any use of the pattern. You can direct any questions or comments to FOM.FTG@Gmail.com.

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