Bodkin / Patterns

Damselfly Nymph

Nymph · Trout · Intermediate · 2 versions

Classic Recipe

  • Hook Standard nymph, 3x long, 10-14
  • Thread Olive 6/0

Materials

  • Tail Olive marabou tips (3 short)
  • Body Olive dubbing (slender)
  • Rib Fine wire (4 inches)
  • Wingcase Dark feather fibers (folded)
  • Eyes Mono eyes (small)
  • Legs Olive hen hackle (sparse)

How to tie it

  1. Mount the 3x hook, tie in a short olive marabou tail. Half a shank length; the naturals swim with a wiggle and the marabou supplies it.
  2. Dub a slender olive abdomen over the rear two-thirds and rib it with fine wire in 4-5 turns.
  3. Tie in small burned mono eyes at the front. Damsel nymphs have prominent eyes.
  4. Dub a small thorax behind the eyes, add a folded wingcase and a turn of sparse olive hen for legs.
  5. Whip finish. Keep the whole fly slim. Damsel nymphs are pencil-thin.

Substitutions

  • Tail instead of Olive marabou tips: Olive CDC tips — More delicate movement; Olive hackle fibers — Stiffer, simpler
  • Body instead of Olive dubbing: Olive Superfine — Slim body; Olive Sow Scud dubbing — Buggier texture
  • Eyes instead of Mono eyes: Bead chain (small) — More visible, adds slight weight; Melted mono — DIY mono eyes, free

Other versions

1 more in the app: Joe Penich.

Tying videos

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