Stillwater Nymph Variation
By Elaine Cook
Stillwater Nymph Variation
By Elaine Cook
The original Stillwater Nymph is an absolute must for fishing Crowley Lake at the Mammoth Lakes fishout. It was featured in the September 2003 fly tying class. This variation offers a slightly different look to fish that may have gotten too accustomed to the original. It has been successful in a variety of stillwaters, notably at Los Padres Reservoir last spring.
| Hook: | TMC 5262 (2XL wet fly or nymph hook) sizes 10-14 |
| Thread: | 8/0 tan |
| Tail: | barred duck flank, dyed tan or golden tan |
| Hackle: | grizzly (soft) |
| Rib: | fine copper wire |
| Body: | tan dubbing |
| Wing Case: | barred duck flank, extended to form tail, too. |
1. Crimp barb.
2. Attach thread mid-shank and wrap to the rear of the shank.
3. Select about a dozen barred flank feather barbs longer than hook length and even the tips.
4. Tie in with two or three wraps at the rear of the shank with tips to the rear, about even with the hook bend.
5. Bend the butt ends of the barbs back over the previous thread wraps and tie down with a couple of additional wraps.
6. Select a hackle with barb length about equal to the hook gap width. Tie hackle tip in at rear of shank.
7. Tie in a piece of copper wire (rib) on top of the shank, extending over rear of hook. Bend the wire tip ahead of the first few tie-in wraps back over the wraps and lash down. This will prevent the wire from being pulled out.
8. Dub a cigar-shaped body forward to one eye length behind the hook eye.
9. Wrap the copper wire ribbing forward in six evenly spaced wraps. Tie it off or take two end wraps on top of each other and twist the wire off.
10. Wrap hackle forward in four evenly spaced wraps, tie off and cut excess. Trim hackle barbs so none extend above the shank.
11. Bring the wing case barb butts forward, pull just tight enough to make the wing case snug against the body, tie off and clip excess.
12. Wrap a small thread head, whip finish and cut excess. If you use head cement, take care not to get any in the wing case or body.