Bodkin / Patterns

Lancer Damsel Unweighted

Nymph · Trout · Advanced · 1 version

Classic Recipe

  • Hook Heavy nymph/wet hook, barbless (Fulling Mill 35005 Heavyweight Champ), #10-12, #10-12
  • Thread Medium olive 8/0 (70 denier)

Materials

  • Eyes Burnt monofilament eyes (Maxima Chameleon 25 lb, ends melted) (1 pair)
  • Tail Olive grizzly marabou (or olive black-barred marabou) (small clump)
  • Abdomen Olive ringneck pheasant tail fibers (4-6 fibers)
  • Rib Gold (or amber) small Ultra Wire (1 strand)
  • Wing case Olive Thin Skin, coated with UV resin (1 strip)
  • Thorax Pheasant Tail Ice Dub (pinch)
  • Hot spot UV Shrimp Pink Ice Dub (small pinch)
  • Legs Olive-dyed partridge (1 feather / few fibers)

How to tie it

  1. Start the olive thread near the eye. Melt both ends of a short length of 25 lb Maxima to form small ball eyes and figure-eight them across the top of the shank a little back from the eye; leave room in front for a small head.
  2. Run the thread to the bend and tie in a short clump of olive grizzly marabou for the tail, no longer than half the shank (damsel nymphs have short, mobile tails).
  3. At the bend tie in a strand of gold wire, then tie in 4-6 olive pheasant tail fibers by their tips.
  4. Wrap the pheasant tail forward to just behind the mono eyes to form the abdomen; tie off.
  5. Counter-rib the gold wire forward over the abdomen in 5-6 evenly spaced turns and helicopter to break the excess (the wire protects the fragile pheasant tail).
  6. Tie in a strip of olive Thin Skin just behind the eyes for the wing case, pointing forward for now.
  7. Dub a thorax of Pheasant Tail Ice Dub behind and around the mono eyes, figure-eighting through the eyes.
  8. Tie in a few olive partridge fibers on each side as legs, sweeping back to about the hook point.
  9. Pull the Thin Skin back over the thorax (behind the eyes) and tie down; add a small pinch of UV Shrimp Pink Ice Dub in front of the eyes as a hot-spot collar.
  10. Whip finish the small head and cement. Coat the Thin Skin wing case with a thin layer of UV resin and cure.

Tying videos

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