Gray Ghost Karma

For most New England fly fishermen, the Gray Ghost fly is one of their favorite and most enduring flies.  The Gray Ghost is a real beauty and the story of its origination bears sharing.

The Gray Ghost was invented by Carrie Gertrude Stevens of Madison, Maine.  She was the wife of Wallace Stevens who was a guide at Upper Dam in Maine.  During the summer months the Stevens lived in a small cabin, called Camp Midway, on the Carry Road at the Upper Dam.  The cabin is still there and a bronze plaque has been placed near it that is inscribed with the story of the Gray Ghost.  The plaque states, in part:

FISHERMEN: PAUSE HERE A MOMENT and pay your respects to Carrie Gertrude Stevens.

Mrs. Stevens was truly a self-taught flytier and the story goes that in July, 1924, Mrs. Stevens took time out from her housework to tie the Gray Ghost.  She made the fly to resemble a smelt.  When Mrs. Stevens went to the Upper Dam pool to test it out, she quickly hooked a 6 pound 13 ounce brook trout, which she promptly placed in a Field & Stream competition and took second prize. After that day, she actively took part in fly tying and made fly fishing history in the Rangeley area of Maine.

Carrie Stevens went on to create dozens of other streamer patterns that are still being used today.  The patterns are admittedly difficult to tie but to those fishermen who still diligently and faithfully produce current renditions and fish them they are the only way to fish streamers.  But of all the patterns Mrs. Stevens created, the Gray Ghost remains the most popular and holds a record for the largest number of strikes ever recorded on a single fly on Lake Mooselookmeguntic: 103.

I hold a personal soft spot in my heart for the Gray Ghost and I would not consider going on any fishing venture without at least two or three, if for no other reason than the karma that they bring.