Terms G
~ G ~
Gallina:
See: - Guinea. Also sometimes spelled Gallena.
Gantron:
Man-made material, usually a dye or color which has high light reflective
properties. Registered trade name.
General Flies:
Imitate general or groups of insects.
Gills:
In nymphs, represented by tufts of fibers or tiny feathers along sides or top of
abdomen. In streamers, represented by red beard hackle and by contrasting color
strip approximately where gill cover would terminate on a bait fish.
Ginger:
Color - pale tan, usually with a sheen.
Ginger Hackle:
Pale tan in color, from Buff Leghorn chickens.
Ginger Variant Hackle:
Ginger with white bars, similar to grizzly hackle markings.
Gled:
Feathers from wings or tail of the European Kite, or small buzzard. Usually
dark brown in color, marked with black or very dark brown bars. Used in
Gled-wing and Dee salmon flies.
Also - Glede.
Gliders:
Series of patterns developed by Ralph Plympton and Herb Johnson, tied
similar to the parachute type fly, having hackle wound around base of the wings.
In gliders, however, the wings are hackle tips rather than hair.
Goat:
Usually white. Best hair comes from the belly which is long and fine. Useful
for streamer wings.
Golden Badger Hackle:
Badger hackle with a golden tinge in the lighter areas.
G.P.:
Golden Pheasant.
Golden Pheasant:
Probably the most useful bird skin for the fly tier. From this beautiful bird we
get the crest and tippet feather used in many salmon and trout fly patterns.
Practically the entire color range is found in these feathers. Mottled, brownish rail
feathers provide leg and tail materials, also used for wings and twist-wrapped
bodies.
Golden Pheasant Sword:
As mentioned by Francis Francis - sections of reddish side tail feathers of the
Golden Pheasant. Use in some salmon fly mixed wing dressings.
Gossamer:
Thin, or fine tying silk or thread.
See also - Naples.
Goose Rounds:
Wide, round, body and side feathers from the Goose. Use to make large flat
spoon wings on lake flies.
Grand Breve Tocate:
N/A: A feather?
Grand Nashua:
Feathers located on the sides of a duck just behind the base of the wings.
These are very special fly tying feathers due to their color and peculiar barring.
Colors to light brown.
Gray:
Color - Somewhere between black and white. Common name given to grizzly
hackle, ie., “gray hackle”.
Gray Fox:
Both body hair and tail hair of this animal pelt provide shades of
grayish-brown to gray material for fur bodies and for streamer wings.
Gray Mallard:
Light gray side or flank feathers, some have darker gray markings. Used in
many trout and salmon flies. Readily available, they are a good substiute for
Pintail flank feathers.
Green Korean Pheasant:
The dark metallic breast feathers are used for shoulders and hackles on
some salmon and wet flies.
Green Metallic Hackle:
Natural black with a metallic sheen of green or bronze.
Green Parrot:
Of many varieties, including the Amazon parrot, these birds provide the
bright green feathers used as wings, tails and strips on some salmon flies. Yellow
tail feathers are found on some species.
Greenwell Hackle:
Hackle marked with a black center strip or list and ginger on the fiber ends.
Green Winged Teal:
Duck found throughout the world and not rare. The feathers range from black
and white barred, to dotted white and tan breast feathers used in fan wing flies.
The brightly colored wing feathers provide some cheeking and small fly wing
material.
Grey:
Color - same as gray. The grey spelling is British.
Grizzled Bucktail:
Another name for hair from tail of Blacktail or Mule deer.
Grizzly Hackle:
Barred black and white from Plymouth Rock rooster or hen. Sometimes
called “gray hackle”.
Also called - Grizzle
Groundhog:
Grays and browns, barred groundhog hair is a must for fly tiers. Makes fine
wings for drys, wets and streamers. Especially useful in nymphs. Also called
Woodchuck or Chuck. In this category are also the Rock Chucks, Ground Chucks
and Wood Chucks.
Grouse:
Grouse hackles are from the rump and breast feathers and are usually light
grays and browns.
Grub:
Salmon fly type with long thin body and hackle palmered or as collars at butt,
mid, and shoulder. Also the larva of certain terrestrial insects, usually white,
wormlike and with brown or black shiny head.
Guinea:
The Pea-fowl from which come the black and white dotted feathers used in fly
tying. Also, any black and white dotted feather from the Guinea or Pea Fowl.
Guinea Fowl:
Wing and body feathers of the Guinea, Pea Fowl or Gallina, as also known,
are black and white spotted. They are used in patterns as tails, shoulders, wing
sections and legs.
Gut:
Term given to silk strands used for leaders and hook eyes before eyed hooks
became popular.
Gyro Hackle:
Same as parachute hackle.
Originally published c. 2003 on Fly Anglers Online.