Bodkin / Patterns

Chubby Damsel

Dry Fly · Trout · Intermediate · 2 versions

Classic Recipe

  • Hook 2XL-3XL nymph/streamer hook, 10-12
  • Thread Olive 8/0 (70 denier)

Materials

  • Eyes Small mono or bead-chain eyes (1 pair)
  • Tail Olive marabou (1 clump)
  • Body Olive marabou or damsel/olive dubbing (as needed)
  • Rib Fine gold or copper wire (1 length)
  • Flash Olive/pearl Krystal Flash (few strands)
  • Thorax/wingcase Olive marabou or partridge + pheasant tail (small bunch)

How to tie it

  1. Mount small eyes near the hook eye with figure-eight wraps so the plump fly swims level like a damsel nymph.
  2. At the bend, tie in a fuller-than-usual olive marabou tail (the 'chubby' profile) about one shank length, with a couple strands of flash blended in.
  3. Tie in the wire rib, then wrap a plump, tapered olive marabou or dubbed body forward, keeping it noticeably fatter than a slim damsel nymph.
  4. Counter-rib the wire in 4-5 open turns for segmentation and durability.
  5. Build a full thorax and add a suggestion of legs with picked-out marabou or partridge fibers.
  6. Pull a few marabou or pheasant-tail fibers over as a wing case and tie down behind the eyes.
  7. Figure-eight around the eyes, whip finish, cement, and pick the body out so it breathes.

Other versions

1 more in the app: Fischer's Flies.

Tying videos

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