Bodkin / Patterns

Damsel

Dry Fly · Trout · Advanced · 1 version

Classic Recipe

  • Hook Long-shank nymph hook, e.g. Kamasan B830 or Tiemco 5262, #10-14, 1XL-2XL (a #12 long-shank is standard)
  • Thread Olive 70 denier / 8-0

Materials

  • Hook Long-shank nymph hook (Kamasan B830), #10-14 (1)
  • Thread Olive 70 denier (1 spool)
  • Tail Olive marabou (from a dyed olive marabou plume) (1 small clump)
  • Rib Fine gold wire (1 strand)
  • Body/abdomen Olive marabou (the butts of the tail plume), wound as a body. Or olive seal-fur substitute dubbing (as needed)
  • Eyes Melted mono nymph eyes (20 lb mono with small black glass beads) OR gold bead-chain eyes (1 pair)
  • Wing case / back (optional) Dyed-olive pheasant tail fibres (6-8 fibres)
  • Thorax Olive seal-fur substitute or dubbing (small pinch)
  • Legs/hackle Dyed-olive partridge hackle (1 feather)

How to tie it

  1. Fix the eyes first: take a 1 in. length of 20 lb mono, melt a small ball on each end and slide a small black glass bead onto each (or use ready-made bead-chain eyes). Figure-eight this across the top of the shank about two eye-widths back from the eye and lock it down.
  2. Run the olive thread to the bend and tie in a slim clump of olive marabou for the tail, about one hook length long. Long enough to flex and 'swim' but not so long the fly fishes like a tadpole.
  3. Tie in the fine gold wire at the bend for the rib.
  4. Wind the marabou butts (or dub olive fur) forward to just behind the eyes to build a slightly tapered abdomen.
  5. Rib the gold wire forward in 5-6 evenly spaced turns, spiralled opposite to the body so it locks the marabou down, then tie off and break off the excess.
  6. If adding a wing case, tie in 6-8 dyed-olive pheasant tail fibres pointing forward over the eyes now.
  7. Dub a pinch of olive fur and figure-eight it around and between the mono eyes to build the thorax.
  8. Tie in a dyed-olive partridge hackle by the tip behind the eye and take 2 turns for sprawling legs; if you tied in a wing case, pull the pheasant tail fibres over the top of the thorax and tie down behind the eye. Whip-finish. The marabou tail is the whole point. It pulses like the wriggling natural on the retrieve.

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