Bodkin / Patterns

Glass Eye Damsel Nymph

Nymph · Largemouth Bass · Smallmouth Bass · Panfish · Intermediate · 1 version

Reference Recipe

  • Hook 2XL-3XL nymph/streamer hook, 10-14
  • Thread Olive 8/0

Materials

  • Eyes Melted mono barbell or small bead-chain (glass/black) (1 pair)
  • Tail Olive marabou or pheasant tail (short tuft)
  • Body Olive dubbing or micro chenille (tapered)
  • Rib Gold wire (one strand)
  • Wing case/back Olive Thin Skin or pheasant tail (one strip)
  • Legs Olive partridge or hen (sparse)

How to tie it

  1. Mount the hook, start thread near the eye, and figure-8 a pair of glass or mono barbell eyes on top just back from the eye to mimic a damsel's wide-set eyes.
  2. At the bend, tie in a short, mobile tuft of olive marabou for the wiggly tail, no longer than the hook gap plus a bit.
  3. Bind in the gold wire and the Thin Skin back strip, then dub a slim, tapered olive body forward to just behind the eyes.
  4. Pull the Thin Skin over the top and rib the gold wire forward in 5-6 open turns to segment the abdomen, then tie off both.
  5. Sweep a sparse partridge collar under the throat for legs and dub a small thorax around the eyes.
  6. Whip finish at the eye and snip.

Tying videos

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