Bodkin / Patterns

Olive Stillwater Nymph

Nymph · Stillwater · Advanced · 1 version

As tied by Sport Fishing on the Fly

  • Hook Mustad C53S, size 14
  • Thread Olive 8/0

Materials

  • Tail Olive marabou (About the length of the hook)
  • Back and legs Olive mallard feather, the fluffy tip (Tied in at tail length)
  • Body Striped olive mallard feather and marabou
  • Rib Thin copper wire
  • Hackle Pale orange, a small feather about hook length (Three or four turns; top trimmed)

How to tie it

  1. Start the olive thread on the hook and take it to the bend.
  2. Tie in a small bunch of olive marabou as a tail, about the length of the hook.
  3. Tie in the olive mallard feather by its fluffy tip, measured to tail length, so it can be pulled over the back later.
  4. Tie in the thin copper wire.
  5. Tie in a small pale orange hackle feather, about the length of the hook, near the back.
  6. Wind the hackle forward in three or four turns.
  7. Wind the wire forward the opposite way to the hackle to lock it down, taking care not to trap too many fibres.
  8. Trim the hackle fibres off the top of the fly, leaving the sides and underneath.
  9. Pull the mallard feather forward over the back to the eye and tie it down. Fold the leftover fibres back along the top so they form a collar and legs.
  10. Whip finish the head and add a little head lacquer.

Tying videos

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