Bodkin / Patterns

Maholo Nymph

Nymph · Trout · Advanced · 1 version

Reference Recipe

  • Hook 1x-long nymph hook (TMC 3761), 12
  • Thread Black 70 denier

Materials

  • Bead Copper bead (1/8")
  • Lead wire (weight) Natural lead wire (.020, ~10 wraps)
  • Pheasant tail fibers (tail) Natural pheasant tail fibers (~12)
  • Ultra Wire (rib) Brassie copper (1 length)
  • Holographic tinsel, large (abdomen) Red holographic tinsel (1 strand)
  • Mirage/opal tinsel, large (wing case) Opal mirage mirror tinsel (1 strand)
  • Ice Dub (thorax) Pheasant tail (small clump)
  • Pheasant tail fibers (legs) Natural pheasant tail fibers (~12)

How to tie it

  1. Slide the copper bead onto the hook and secure it in the vise; wrap about 10 turns of.020 lead wire on the shank, break off the tags, and push the lead into the back of the bead.
  2. Start black thread behind the lead, snip the tag, and wrap a thread underbody back to the bend.
  3. Tie in about a dozen pheasant tail fibers at the bend with the tips extending a half-shank past the bend for the tail; bind the butts forward to behind the lead and trim.
  4. Tie in the brassie copper wire at the bend for the rib.
  5. Build a tapered thread body from the lead down to the bend, then tie in a strand of large red holographic tinsel at the bend.
  6. Wrap the tinsel forward in slightly overlapping turns to the bead to form the abdomen; secure behind the bead.
  7. Counter-wrap the copper wire forward in eight or nine evenly spaced turns; tie off behind the bead and helicopter off.
  8. About 40% back from the bead, tie in a strand of large opal tinsel on top for the wing case, pointing rearward.
  9. Dub a robust thorax of pheasant tail Ice Dub behind the bead.
  10. Pull the opal tinsel forward over the top of the thorax and secure it behind the bead; trim the excess.
  11. Tie in about a dozen pheasant tail fibers as legs along each side, tips reaching the hook point; trim the butts.
  12. Form a small thread band behind the bead, add head cement, whip finish, and cut the thread.

Tying videos

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