Illawarra Flyfishers Club

Generic Nymph

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Text and photos by Stephen Chatterton

Nymphs make up a significant part of a trouts diet. Whilst this nymph is not meant to represent the nymphal (sub imago or pupa) stage of any specific insect it is a good "buggy" looking fly and readily accepted by trout. Tie it in black, brown, olive, "Adams" or "hare & copper" colours and carry a larger and smaller version of each.

Tying Procedure

	1a) Wind on the thread in touching turns from the eye to the bend of the hook. b) Tie in a tail about as long as the hook shank consisting of a small number of equal length possum fur or feather fibres.  c) Tie in a length of copper wire. d) If weighting the fly place the weight as far forward as possible by wrapping on lead or copper wire onto the hook shank. By placing the weight forward the swimming action of the fly is enhanced.
	2a) Dub on a cigar shaped body half way along the hook shank. b) Wind the copper wire over the dubbed body to form 4 or 5 ribs. c) Tie the copper wire off and trim. d) Tie in the wing casing material with the wing casing material trailing behind the hook.
	3a) Dub on the back half of the thorax making it thicker than the body. b) Tie in the hackle or hackles in case of an "Adams" dressing just in front of the first half of the thorax and pull and tie off half of the feather so that equal portions of the hackle stick out both sides and toward the back of the fly. c) Complete dubbing the thorax nearly to the eye of the hook. d) Pull the wing case forward over the thorax and tie in directly behind the eye of the hook and trim. e) Build up the head, whip finish and varnish.