Bodkin / Patterns

Balanced Damsel

Nymph · Streamer · Trout · Intermediate · 6 versions

As tied by Fly Fish Food (belly-flop balanced damsel)

  • Hook Barbless jig hook (captioned Hanak 400)

Materials

  • Balance Embroidery pin with 3.3 mm bead (2.8 mm also used)
  • Eyes Melted monofilament
  • Tail Mitch flash (or Krystal Flash) and golden olive marabou (Nature's Spirit)
  • Underbody Opal mirage tinsel, large
  • Body Dubbing loop of ice dub / Arizona semi-seal blend, brushed out
  • Adhesive Z-Ment and glue

How to tie it

  1. Prepare pins in advance: put the bead on an embroidery pin, snip it to length, make eyes from melted monofilament, lash them on in parallel and twist them into position, whip finish, build a small thread dam behind the bead, and add Z-Ment; make several at once.
  2. Lay a thread base on the jig hook and lash the pin assembly on so the bead sits just beyond the hook eye with the eyes on top as the fly rides.
  3. Whip finish and test the balance on a piece of mono; a slightly bead-heavy tilt is fine.
  4. Tie in a few strands of midge/Krystal flash at the end of the hook, then a section of golden olive marabou as the tail, measured from the bead back so the fly is not overlong; trim at the point where the pin drops off.
  5. Make a dubbing loop, tie in opal tinsel and wind it forward as the base of the body, leaving the thread out of the way.
  6. Spin a blend of dubbing into the loop, brush it, trim the fibres shorter toward the tail, and wind it forward with small gaps so the tinsel shows through; finish with a couple of wraps by the head and whip finish.
  7. Brush out and trim lightly.

Other versions

5 more in the app: As tied by Phil Fischer (Sunriver Anglers), As tied by Svenddiesel (FlySkinz damsel tail), As tied by Sea-Run Fly & Tackle (Casey's Balanced Damsel), As tied by SmilingGoodTimes (Chris Harkin), As tied by High Country Fly Fishers (UV chenille, materials only).

Tying videos

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