Grantham Sedge Steelhead Version
Published Jan 26th 2012
A skating sedge that fishes with a distinct wake even without being hitch fished
While researching the article about the Steelhead Beetle, lodge manager Chad Black first sent me a description of the Grantham Sedge based on my feeble description of the fly I was looking for. And the similarity between the two flies is pretty obvious, not least owing to the weed trimmer wire and the deer hair wing. You could say that the Steelhead Beetle is a Grantham Sedge with some foam added.
History
The Grantham Sedge was originally designed by Ron Grantham in 1993. It is a unique solution to creating a fly which produces a substantial wake without having to be bulky or riffle hitched. Ron Grantham writes "When used with a floating fly line this unsinkable fly will stay on the surface as long as it is moving."
The overhanging body will press the fly to the surface, and in the surface it will be very visible leaving a clear wake and having a good profile thanks to its large wing.
Chad Black of the Nicolas Dean Lodge writes: "Well known Skeena angler Rob Brown introduced us to this pattern one day on the Lower Copper River. We now use this pattern for the majority of our skated fly steelhead fishing. It has a substantially better hook up to rise ratio than most other skating flies."
He continues: "It's been Dustin's ‘go-to' surface fly ever since, whenever water conditions are good and Steelhead are aggressive."
For trout try smaller hook sizes, and you have a very buoyant skating caddis.
Grantham Sedge, Ron's recipe
| Type | Steelhead fly |
| Originator | Ron Grantham |
| Year of origin | 1993 |
| Difficulty | Easy |
Materials
| Hook | 6, 8 or 10 Mustad 7957B, 7948A or 94840 down-eye, bronzed, forged, regular length, or equivalent |
| Thread | dark brown; (optional: any colour) |
| Extension | .063 inches (1.5 mm) nylon monofilament as used on lawn edgers |
| Tag | brown dubbing (optional: any colour) |
| Wing | natural deer hair (optional: any colour), length of body |
Grantham Sedge, Dustin's recipe
| Type | Steelhead fly |
| Originator | Ron Grantham/Dustin Kovacvich |
| Difficulty | Medium |
Materials
| Hook | Daiichi 1720 sizes 10, 8, 6, & 4 |
| Thread | Brown olive |
| Extension | Weed trimmer cord extended past the eye of the hook |
| Tag | Burnt orange dubbing |
| Body | Medium brown dubbing |
| Wing | Stiff elk or moose hair |
| Head | Trimmed wing hair |
