Steel Blue

One of Roger Woolley’s most famous patterns. Most often mentioned as a great grayling pattern perhaps because of its similarity to the grayling patterns of Derbyshire where Woolley is from. While I am sure Woolley used it for grayling and I am sure it takes grayling, he lists it under “Fancy wet flies” and I know it works on trout.

Pattern Recipe page 162 in “Modern Trout Fly Dressing”.

Hook - 14, 13
Body - Thin peacock herl, ribbed gold wire, with three turns of orange silk at tail end.
Hackle - Well grizzled bright blue cock, from shoulder to tail.

Thanks!