Bodkin / Patterns

RIO's Hogan Military Mayfly Nymph

Nymph · Trout · Intermediate · 1 version

Reference Recipe

  • Hook 1XL curved nymph hook (e.g. Daiichi 1560), 14-18
  • Thread brown (change to match the mayfly) 8/0

Materials

  • Glass bead (or tungsten) Root beer/amber glass bead (1, sized to hook)
  • Wood duck or teal flank (tail) Natural mallard flank (5-6 fibers)
  • Mylar tinsel (abdomen casing) Pearl mylar tinsel (medium, 1 strand)
  • Ultra wire (rib) Copper wire (small, 1 strand)
  • Dubbing (thorax) Brown/olive to match dubbing (small pinch)
  • Mylar tinsel (thorax casing) Pearl mylar tinsel (large, 1 strand)

How to tie it

  1. Debarb, slide the glass bead to the eye, and start the thread behind it, running a smooth base to the bend.
  2. Tie in 5-6 wood duck flank fibers as a tail at the bend, about half a shank long.
  3. Bind in the small copper wire and a length of medium pearl tinsel at the bend, then build a slim, tapered thread abdomen forward to the 65% mark.
  4. Pull the pearl tinsel flat over the top of the abdomen as a shell to the 65% mark and tie it down, so the flash reads as a bright back; the colored thread showing through is the whole point.
  5. Counter-wrap the copper wire forward over the abdomen and tinsel in 5 open turns and tie off, then break the tag.
  6. Tie in the large pearl tinsel at the 65% mark, then dub a slightly fuller thorax up to just behind the bead.
  7. Pull the large tinsel over the thorax as a wingcase, secure behind the bead, trim, whip finish, and add a drop of cement.

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