Bodkin / Patterns

Improved Galloup's BWO Nymph

Nymph · Trout · Intermediate · 1 version

Tyer Recipe

  • Hook Standard dry-fly or nymph hook, 16 (range 14-18)
  • Thread Burgundy (Galloup signature) or olive 6/0

Materials

  • Pheasant tail (tail and abdomen) Natural pheasant tail fibers (few fibres)
  • Wire (rib) Copper, fine (1 strand)
  • UV pearl dubbing / dubbing enhancer (gills) Pearl/UV dubbing dubbing enhancer (small pinch)
  • Ice Dub or peacock herl (thorax) Black peacock ice dub (1 pinch/2 strands)

How to tie it

  1. Start burgundy thread behind the eye and run it back to the bend.
  2. Tie in a small bunch of pheasant-tail fibres so the tips extend about a shank-length off the bend for the tail, leaving the butts long to form the body.
  3. Tie in a strand of fine copper wire at the tail base for the rib.
  4. Wind the pheasant-tail butts forward in touching turns to about two-thirds of the shank to form a slim tapered abdomen, and tie off.
  5. Counter-rib the abdomen forward with the copper wire in evenly spaced turns and tie off; helicopter to break the wire.
  6. At the front of the abdomen, tie in a short sparse tuft of UV pearl dubbing / dubbing enhancer so it sits back against the abdomen simulating gills (the pattern's key trigger).
  7. Dub or wrap a black-peacock Ice Dub (or peacock herl) thorax up to just behind the eye.
  8. Whip finish behind the eye and cement the burgundy head.

Tying videos

← All fly patterns