Fishing Flies. Smalley
This fly, designed by Richard Walker, should be heavily weighted, and fished very close to the bottom.
Real nymphs are usually well camouflaged and blend into their habitat, the bed of rivers and lakes. However, some, like the next four patterns, are much brighter and are great attractor patterns.
ORANGE NYMPH
Hook: Nymph, sizes 12–14.
Thread: Brown.
Tails: Few fibres brown speckled partridge.
Abdomen: Orange wool or fur.
Rib: Fine silver wire.
Thorax: Brown wool or fur.
Wing cases: Brown speckled partridge.
Though this imitates New Zealand’s pepper-winged olive, it will take trout in rivers on the other side of the planet. It is very good when the water has a slight peat tinge. The same can also be said of the following – another New Zealand pattern.
RED-TIPPED GOVERNOR
Hook: Nymph, sizes 12–14.
Thread: Black.
Tails: Dyed red hackle fibres.
Abdomen: Red floss.
Thorax: Peacock herl.
Wing cases: Hen pheasant tail slip (dark section).
Legs: Few fibres red hen hackle.
FAISAN ET ORANGE (ORANGE AND PHEASANT)
Hook: Wet fly, 10–12.
Thread: Brown.
Tails: Tips of about 5 cock pheasant tail fibres.
Underbody: Copper wire.
Body: Orange floss.
Rib: Finest oval gold tinsel.
Shellback: About 10 cock pheasant tail fibres.
Besides trout and grayling, this nymph, by Raymond Rocher, has also accounted for several Atlantic salmon.
The next four are New Zealand patterns and imitate upwinged fly nymphs found in the rivers there. They can also be usefully used in North American and European streams and lakes, as they match several natural nymphs in those continents.
SULPHUR NYMPH
Hook: Nymph, sizes 12–14.
Thread: Brown.
Tails: Grey partridge fibres dyed yellow.
Abdomen: Yellow seal’s fur (or substitute).
Thorax: Hare’s ear.
Wing cases: Brown goose quill slip.
Legs: Grey partridge, dyed yellow.
STRIPED NYMPH
Hook: Nymph, sizes 12–16.
Thread: Black.
Tails: Pale ginger or honey hen hackle fibres.
Abdomen: Stripped peacock quill (the best marked come from the ‘eye’ feather).
Thorax: Hare’s ear.
Wing cases: Grey mallard quill slip.
Legs: Ginger hen hackle fibres.
SEPIA NYMPH
Hook: Nymph, sizes 12–14.
Thread: Black.
Tails: Black cock hackle fibres.
Abdomen: Black and dark brown fur, mixed (use a fine synthetic fur).
Rib: Black thread.
Thorax: As abdomen.
Wing cases: Black quill slip (e.g. crow).
Legs: Black hackle fibres.
TELLICO NYMPH
Hook: Wet fly, sizes 8–14.
Thread: Black.
Tails: Few fibres of guinea fowl (gallina).
Body: Yellow floss.
Rib: Peacock herl.
Shellback: Peacock herl.
Hackle: Brown hen.
Head: Black.
STONEFLY NYMPHS
Stonefly nymphs live only in the cleanest of rivers and lakes and in many parts of the world of trout fishing they are far less important in the diet of the fish than caddisflies and upwinged flies. However stoneflies are very popular among fly-tyers, partly because of their solid build that makes them good to imitate, partly because some species grow very large. Further, in some North American rivers, there are very large populations of big stonefly species, such as the giant stonefly Pteronarcys californica and the golden stoneflies Acroneuria pacifica and A. californica. So there the pleasure of tying big stonefly nymphs is closely linked with the pleasure of catching trout with them. Across the Atlantic, Europe has some big stoneflies (Perla and Dinocras species) but only in a relatively few rivers are the populations big enough to warrant carrying imitations of their nymphs or adults. It is interesting to note, however, that in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries the large nymphs were collected and fished as bait in some rough British rivers. Not surprisingly most stonefly imitations have their roots in North America. They are worth trying in any cool, clean trout stream.
The first three, fairly simple tyings, are by Polly Rosborough (see here).
DARK STONE
Hook: Nymph, sizes 4–14.
Thread: Tan.
Tails: