Fly tying

How to tie the Grunter

Step-by-step tying of a popular trout fly for rivers and lakes

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In the last few seasons this fly has become very popular on both rivers and lakes, where it can be taken for all manner of emerging insects. With its abdomen hanging beneath the surface and its trapped legs struggling in the meniscus, its an easy and hearty mouthful for a trout.

Materials for the grunter

Hook Size: 10-12 down-eyed Thread: Black Wing: Three natural CDC plumes
First hackle: Partridge Second hackle: Ginger cock Body: Hare’s ear dubbing

Step 1. Apply close turns of thread to form a solid base, then place three natural CDC feathers together so that their tips are level. Catch in the feathers so they point forward over the eye.

Step 2. Secure the CDC feathers with further tight thread turns, then trim the waste ends to create a taper. Cover the waste ends of the CDC with further thread turns.

Step 3. Select a well-marked brown partridge back feather and stroke the fibres away from the tip. With a few tight thread wraps, tie it in by its tip close to the base of the CDC wing.

Step 4. With the tying thread parked a short distance from the wing base, take the partridge feather and wind a few turns back towards the thread. Tie off the partridge hackle stem, then trim waste.

Step 5. Prepare a long-fibred ginger cock hackle by stripping away the fibres at its base. Trim the bare stem to leave a short stub, then tie it in just behind the turns of partridge hackle.

Step 6. Using hackle-pliers if necessary, wrap the ginger cock hackle immediately behind the turns of partridge feather to form a strong buoyant hackle. Three or four turns should be enough.

Step 7. Tie off the ginger hackle and trim off the waste, then take a pinch of blended hare’s ear fur and apply it to the thread. If necessary, apply a small amount of dubbing wax to the thread.

Step 8. Dub the hare’s fur to form a rope, then wrap it along the shank, working towards the bend to form a roughly textured tapering body.

Step 9. Tie off the tying thread at the end of the body using a whip finish. Trim off the thread, then stroke the partridge fibres back so that they sit in the same plane as the ginger hackle.