NYMPHS

Nymphs are larvae of all aquatic insects. Together with minnows,

crawfish, etc., they represent about ninety per cent of the trout's

regular diet. Considering this fact, it is obvious that nymphs will take

trout throughout the entire season. It will greatly surprise the novice

to learn of the great amount of underwater insect life present in any

stream. Next time you go fishing, hold your landing net close to the

bottom, in a foot or so of fast water. Reach upstream and loosen the

stones and gravel. Raise your landing net, and notice the numerous

nymphs that have been washed from under the stones, and have attached

themselves to your net. Better still, make a screen about two feet

square, from regular 14 mesh window screening. Hold this in the water,

and have your fishing partner go upstream, and with a regular garden

rake, or some such tool, rake up the bottom, turning over the stones and

gravel. This way you can capture many nymphs. Put them in glass

bottles, take them home, and make copies of them. When next you {33} go

fishing open the first trout you catch, examine the contents of its

stomach, and determine which of the copies you have made is the proper

nymph or fly for the occasion. To fish with an imitation of the fly or

nymph upon which they are feeding, will result in a heavier creel.

When nymph fishing it is important to use a long, finely tapered leader.

A 4x is about right. Fish in the same waters, and very much the same way

as with a dry fly except that the nymph is allowed to sink. Fish

upstream, or up and across the current. In the ripples. Around boulders.

At the edge of fast water. Let the nymph drift with the current. Follow

it with your rod tip, and be prepared to set the hook at the least

hesitation of the line. Trout will sometimes take a drifting nymph and

eject it, without being felt on the most delicate rod, so be ever on the

alert when nymph fishing. A nymph fished down stream, and retrieved with

slow, short jerks, will often work very well. When fished in this

manner, trout will strike quite hard, and usually hook themselves.

There are times when trout are rolling on the surface and it seems

impossible to take them on anything. It is then that they are usually

feeding on nymphs, just under the surface. I remember one such time on

the Housatonic River in Connecticut last summer. Just at dark, I was

standing knee deep in very fast water. Trout {34} were breaking all

around me. I knew, they were feeding on nymphs, and tried in every way

to catch them. The water was so fast, it was impossible to keep the

nymph just the right depth below the surface. I tried every trick that

I knew, but could not get a strike. Finally reaching my hand in my

pocket, I discovered several large buckshot. Removing the nymph from the

tip of the leader, I attached five of these large shots, to the very tip

of the leader, with a piece of 3x gut tippet about four inches long. I

connected the nymph to the leader about sixteen inches from the tip.

Within the next few minutes I took several nice trout, within rod's

length of where I was standing. What actually happened, the lead was so

heavy that it immediately sank straight to the bottom, and my taut line

held the nymph suspended about two inches below the surface. The short

gut between the nymph and the leader allowed the nymph to quiver much as

the natural was doing. All the various common nymphs can be faithfully

copied, by learning to tie the various styles of those herein

illustrated. Simply alter the sizes, and color combinations, according

to those found in the waters where you fish.

Remember nearly all the nymphs have flat bodies, and dark backs. The

bodies may be flattened by thoroughly lacquering them, and when nearly

dried squeezing them flat with an ordinary pair of pliers; or by {35}

cutting a piece of quill the shape of the body from a turkey or goose

wing. Bind this on top of the hook for the foundation of the body, and

build the body over this. When finished, lacquer the entire body.

Most any body materials that are used for the making of other flies can

be used; however, wool is mostly used for nymphs. Silk floss wound over

a quill foundation and then lacquered, makes a very smooth, realistic

body.

{36}

[Illustration: Diagram 6. Page sized diagram showing drawings of nymph

construction.]

THEIR CONSTRUCTION

(SEE DIAGRAM 6)

Start tying silk (A) an eighth of an inch from the eye of the hook and

wind closely down shank, as previously done with bucktails, wet flies

etc. Next cut a section (B) from a grey goose wing feather about one

eighth inch wide, and tie on top of the hook as Fig. 1. This is to make

the tail and also the back of the nymph. Bend (B) back and take a turn

or two with (A) in front as Fig. 2. Tie in the ribbing (c) close to (B)

Fig. 3. Next tie in body material (D) close to (C) Fig. 4. Wool yarn

makes the best body material for this style nymph. Now finish the body

as for a wet fly, Fig. 5, then pull (B) tightly over the top, finish off

as Fig. 6. This makes a sort of hard shell over the back. Next turn the

hook upside down in the vise, and lay {37} three horse hairs across, just

in back of where the head is to be made, crisscross (A) between the hairs

to spread them and make them look like legs, and your nymph should look

like Fig. 7. Nymphs of this style as well as Figs. 8, 9, 10, 14 and 15

look more natural if the bodies are flattened. Fig. 8 is tied nearly the

same as Fig. 7, the difference being that (C) and (D) are both wound

over (B) about two-thirds of the length of the body, then (B) is turned

back, the body finished as before, (B) brought forward loosely to form

the humpbacked wing case, and (B) being cut off as was done with Fig. 6,

and instead of the butt end of (B) being cut off as was done with Fig.

6 it is split by crisscrossing (A) through it to form small wings as

Fig. 8. Fig. 9 is made in the same way except that several strands of

peacock herl is used for the dark back, tail, and feelers.

Fig. 10 is a very effective nymph, the body made entirely of natural

raffia (soaked in water before using), with black hair used for the tail

and feelers The body coated with lacquer as before mentioned and pressed

flat when dry; paint the back with dark brown or black lacquer.

Fig. 11 is made by close wound palmer hackle cut off on dotted

lines. Fig. 12 is a fur body, made by spinning rabbit's fur or

other fur on waxed tying silk and ribbing with gold; the tougher

this nymph looks the more effective it seems to be. Fig. 13, the

Caddis {38} worm can be more naturally reproduced with a common rubber

band than any other way I know. Get a dirty, white, rubber band

about 1/8" wide, taper one end for about 1/2". Lay two horse hairs

lengthwise on top of the hook for the feelers, wind tying silk over them

down the hook, tie in the rubber band by the very tip of the taper, wind

the tying silk back to the starting point, and be sure that the tying

silk is wound smoothly. If not, any roughness will show through the

rubber band. Wind the rubber band tightly to about 1/4" back of the eye.

Wind back down and take one turn under the horsehair at the tail end,

wind up to the head and tie off with the tying silk. This now makes

three thicknesses of the rubber band. Form a large head with the tying

silk, fasten securely and you have a very realistic Caddis worm. Fig. 14

is tied about the same as Fig. 7, with a considerable amount of speckled

mallard, and peacock herl used for both the front and back feelers as

well as the legs.

Fig. 15. The Damsel Nymph has a body of dark grey wool with a back of

dark brown or black lacquer. Wings, small red-brown wood duck breast

feathers, feelers dark brown hackle, and a large black head.

{39}

THE HELGRAMITE

(SEE DIAGRAM 7)

The Helgramite Nymph, larva of the Dobson Fly, is such an excellent bass

and trout food, that the making of this nymph deserves special mention.

As my personal way of making this particular nymph differs considerably

from those previously explained, I consider it advisable to go into

further details concerning the construction of this pattern.

I personally like the winged style. That is, with small imitation wings

and horns, or feelers. This represents the nymph in its final underwater

stage, just before emerging from the water as the Dobson Fly. I find

black skunk tail the most satisfactory material for the body of this

nymph. Either light grey swan sides, or light grey pigeon breast

feathers for the wing and legs.

{40}

[Illustration: Diagram 7. Page sized diagram showing drawings of

helgramite construction.]

First wind the waxed tying silk up the shank of the hook beginning

opposite the barb. Clip the fibers closely from a couple of hackle

feathers. These are to form the horns. Bind these hackle quills

to the top of the hook, so that the tip ends project about 1 1/2"

in front of the eye. Take a bunch of black skunk tail about the

size of a match and bind it to the top of the hook, with tip ends

towards the eye of the hook as in Diagram 7, Fig. 1. Next fold the hair

forward and bind down tightly as in Fig. 2. Again fold the hair back and

tie down as in {41} Fig. 3. Then again as in Fig. 4. Notice that each

time the hair is folded back upon itself and tied down, that it forms a

segment of the body, and that each segment increases in size, until your

nymph looks like Fig. 5. At this stage turn the nymph over and tie a piece

of light grey feather about 1/8" wide across the bottom, separate the

fibers with the tying silk to form the legs. Now cut a small light grey

pigeon feather with the centre quill, as dotted line in Fig. 6. Give this

a coat of clear lacquer: when dry, tie flat, on the back of the nymph to

form the first set of wings, as in Fig. 7. Cut another feather and treat

the same way, tie these slightly forward of the first set of wings, and

you have a Dobson Nymph that is very lifelike in appearance.

{42}

BASS FLIES

AND FEATHER STREAMERS

It will appear obvious from a study of Diagram 8, page (43) that the

tying of bass flies and Feather Streamers differs so little from the

tying of wet flies and bucktails that a detailed description will be

unnecessary.

Bass flies are little more than large trout lies, the

principal difference being the feathers that are used for the wings

although the same feathers can be used as for trout flies. It is

customary with commercial tiers to use two whole feathers for the wings,

or the tips of two wings feathers, etc. Place the concave sides together

and tie in the butt ends the same as for a wet fly. Bass flies to be

used as spinner flies, that is, flies to be used with a spinner in

front, should be tied on ring eyed hooks instead of hooks with turned

down or turned up eyes.

{43}

[Illustration: Diagram 8. Page sized diagram showing drawings of bass

flies.]

{44}

[Illustration: Page sized photograph of flies tied by the author.]

Certain patterns of these flies have for a long time been famous as

salmon flies in northern New England and Canada and the past few years

have seen them steadily growing in popularity with anglers of

Connecticut, especially for Rainbow Trout. The feathers {45} that are

used for wings are saddle hackles, and from four to eight feathers are

used, hackles of the same size are selected, the tip ends placed even,

and the concave sides of those used for the left side are placed next to

the concave sides of those used for the right side, in other words, both

the right and left side of the wing will be convex, or outside of the

feather. Any of the standard pattern flies can be tied as streamers.

Some of the patterns however, are very elaborate flies; the Supervisor,

for instance, has wings of light blue with shorter feathers of green on

each side, with peacock herl along each wing, polar bear hair, jungle

cock shoulders, a silver body, and a red tag. This fly was developed a

few years ago by Mr. Joseph Stickney, Supervisor of Wardens, State of

Maine, to imitate the smelt, a natural salmon food. The original Supervisor

did not have the jungle cock or the peacock heal. Mr. Stickney suggested

the addition of these feathers to me last year, and I believe that this

is now the approved dressing.

{46}

[Illustration: Page sized photograph of feather streamers tied by

the author.]

{47}

FAMOUS BUCKTAIL AND

FEATHER STREAMERS

SUPERVISOR: WINGS, Blue saddle hackle with polar bear hair, and

peacock herl down each side. CHEEKS, green hackle tip and jungle

cock. BODY silver. TAG, red wool.

TIGER: (light) WINGS, brownish yellow bucktail or red squirrel

tail. BODY yellow chenille. TAG, gold. TAIL, barred wood duck.

CHEEKS, jungle cock. THROAT, scarlet.

TIGER: (dark) WINGS, yellow bucketful. BODY peacock herl. TAG, gold.

TAIL, barred wood duck. CHEEKS, jungle cock. Short red fin.

GREGG'S DEMON: WINGS, grizzly saddle hackle dyed brown. BODY, silver

ribbed with gold. CHEEKS, jungle cock. TAIL, barred wood duck. TOPPING,

golden pheasant crest. HACKLE, Orange.

JUNGLE PRINCESS: WINGS grizzly saddle hackle dyed yellow with

large jungle cock. CHEEKS, blue chatterer. BODY gold tinsel.

HACKLE, white.

GRIZZLY GREY: WINGS, grizzly saddle hackles. CHEEKS, jungle cock.

TAIL, orange. BODY, silver tinsel. HACKLE, white bucktail.

{48}

HIGHLAND BELLE: WINGS orange saddle hackles inside, grizzly saddle

hackles outside. CHEEKS, jungle cock. BODY, gold tinsel ribbed with

silver tinsel. HACKLE, white bucktail.

SPENCER BAY SPECIAL: WINGS blue saddle hackles inside with furnace

saddle hackles outside. CHEEKS, jungle cock. TAIL, golden pheasant

tippet. BODY, silver tinsel ribbed with oval silver tinsel. HACKLE,

yellow and blue mixed.

BLACK GHOST: WINGS, white saddle hackle. BODY, black silk floss ribbed

with silver. CHEEKS, jungle cock. HACKLE, yellow.

GREY GHOST: WINGS, grey saddle hackle with peacock herl and white

bucktail. BODY, orange floss ribbed with gold. CHEEKS, silver pheasant

feather and jungle cock.

BROWN GHOST: WINGS, brown saddle hackle. BODY, brown floss ribbed

with gold. CHEEKS, jungle cock. TOPPING, golden pheasant crest.

TAIL, golden pheasant crest. HACKLE, yellow.

WARDEN'S WORRY: WINGS one red and one grizzly saddle hackle. HACKLE,

yellow, tied very full.

WHITE MARIBOU: WINGS, white caribou. CHEEKS, large jungle cock and

small red feather. TOPPING, golden pheasant crest.

YELLOW MARIBOU: WINGS, yellow caribou. CHEEKS, large Jungle cock

and small red feather. TOPPING peacock herl. Two complete caribou

feathers can be used, or sections of the feathers, depending upon

the size of the hook. Size 4 long shank hook is a good size to tie

them for salmon.

{49}

FLOATING BUGS AND THEIR

CONSTRUCTION

A style of fishing becoming more popular each year is that of Fly Rod

fishing with Floating Bugs. These Bugs represents the large moth,

butterfly, etc., and are constructed of a large variety of materials.

Some have cork bodies. Some have Balsa Wood bodies. Others all hair

bodies. Bodies covered with chenille, and other materials. One of the

easiest to make and I believe one of the most successful styles, is

entirely constructed from the body hair of the deer, reindeer, or

caribou. All of these hairs are rather coarse and hollow consequently

are very buoyant, and when properly made into a copy of the living

insect, they have a soft, lifelike body that appears very natural when

taken by a fish. These soft bodied Bugs are not so apt to be ejected

before the Angler has time to set the hook, as are those with hard

bodies.

{50}

[Illustration: Page sized diagram showing bass bugs tied by the author.]

Although the object of this book is to teach the Angler how to tie

his own flies a few words in regards to the writer's personal

experiences in using these Bugs might not be amiss at this time.

Floating Bugs are mostly tied on large size hooks and generally used for

{51} bass. However, I have had a great deal of luck and many pleasant

experiences with them tied as small as a #14 Model Perfect hook, and

used with a 4x Leader. The small sizes will take many large trout, and

are readily accepted by all pan fish. When fishing in still waiters with

the Floating Bugs, whether it be for bass, pickerel, trout or pan fish I

use a light leader, treated so that it will sink. I cast to a likely

looking spot, beside an old stump along lily pads, or to an opening in

the lily pads themselves. I let the Bug hit the water with quite a

splash, as a living moth of the same size would, and there I let

it lie, absolutely motionless, as though stunned by the blow. By all

means do not be impatient, let the Bug lie perfectly still for two or

three minutes, and then simply move the tip of your rod just enough to

cause the Bug to quiver on the surface. Again let it lie perfectly still

for a minute or two; usually about the second time the Bug is made to

quiver you can expect a strike, and when a big bass comes after one of

these Bugs, he comes full of action. When fishing fast water, I fish

them exactly as I would a dry fly, upstream or up and across the

current. My personal choice for color is the natural brownish grey body

hair from either the deer, reindeer, or caribou. Wings, tail and body

all the same natural color. I tie this pattern from size 2/0 Model

perfect hook down to size 14, and us {52} the larger sizes for bass

and pickerel, and the smaller sizes for trout and pan fish. I

remember one very pleasant experience that happened in northern

Maine three years ago. There is a small, deep, spring fed lake of

about ten acres in area, completely surrounded by wilderness; this

lake had been stocked with, Rainbow Trout and closed to all fishing

for five years. I was fortunate in being there about two months after

it had been opened to fishing and was invited to try my luck, after

first being advised that although some very nice catches were regularly

being taken on a Streamer Fly fished deep, also on live bait and worms

with a spinner, no one had even been able to take fish on the surface.

I arrived at this lake about one hour before dark, and it was one of

those evenings when the water was actually boiling with rising trout.

In fact never before or since have I seen so many fish breaking water

at the same time. I immediately made up my mind to take fish on the

surface. I began fishing with a small spider, and changed fly after fly

for the next half hour with the same results as had been experienced by

other dry fly fishermen. In desperation and with darkness fast approaching

I tied on a size 4 Grey Bug and cast about thirty feet from shore. The Bug

hit the water with quite a splash and didn't even as much as put down one

fish, and several continued to {53} rise from within a few inches to a few

feet from where the Bug landed. I waited a couple of minutes and gave the

Bug a little twitch, nothing happened, again I twitched and again nothing

happened. I began to believe I was stumped when again the Bug was moved

ever so slightly for the fifth time, and remember this was at least seven

minutes after it first hit the water. A fish struck. In a few minutes I

landed a 2 1/4 pound Rainbow. Before darkness had brought the day to a

close I had landed three more beautiful Rainbows averaging 2 pounds

each. I had never since had the opportunity to fish in this beautiful

little lake. Some day I hope to return, and again try, and I believe

succeed in taking these beautiful Rainbow Trout on the conventional

dry fly. However, this one little experience proved conclusively to

me the absolute necessity of patience in fishing Floating Bugs.

FLOATING BUGS:

THEIR CONSTRUCTION

(SEE DIAGRAM 9)

First let us begin by making the most simple; that is, one that has the

Body, Wings, and Tail, all of the same material and color. Follow the

illustrations carefully and even your first attempt will be a

masterpiece.

{54}

Although I use well waxed 00 tying silk, you will find that regular

sewing silk size A will work best on your first attempt. First wax your

thread thoroughly and take a few turns around the shank of the hook and

tie in a small bunch of hairs for the tail, as in Diagram 9, Fig. 1,

page (55). We will assume that we are using regular deer hair cut from

the hide. Next clip a small bunch of hairs, about the size of a match,

close to the hide. You will notice there is some fuzz mixed with the

hair at the base close to the skin, pick out the fuzz and place the

butts of the hairs under the hook as in Fig. 2, Take a couple of loose

turns with the tying silk, hold the tips of the hair with the thumb and

finger of the left hand, and pull the tying silk down tight. You will

notice that the hairs spin around the hook and the butt ends will stand

out pretty much at right angles to the hook, as in Fig. 3. Cut off the

tip end of the hairs on the dotted line, press the hairs back tightly,

apply a drop of water-proof lacquer to the base of the hairs and the

hook, and repeat the same process of tying on a small bunch of hair,

each time pressing it back tightly. Remember this is important, because

the hair must be as close together as possible to make a firm, smooth,

buoyant body.

{55}

[Illustration: Diagram 9. Page sized diagram showing drawings of bass

bug construction.]

When you have built the body up until it looks something like

Fig. 4, remove it from the vise and with a sharp pair of scissors

trim and shape it until it looks {56} like Figs. 5 and 6. At this stage

you should have 3/16" of the shank of the hook left just behind the eye,

where you will tie on the wings. Cover this bare hook with the well waxed

tying silk, and lay a bunch of hair on top of the hook for wings as Fig.

7. Crisscross the tying silk around the wings and the hook until they

are securely tied together. Place several coats of lacquer over he

junction of the wings and hook, to more securely bind them in place.

Lacquer the entire wings if you wish and when they have partially dried,

press them flat, spread them, trim them as Fig. 8, and your Bug is

completed.

Any combination of color may be used, different colored wings and tail,

different colored rings in the body. White body with red tail and wings

is a good pattern. Yellow body, black wings and tail another. Various

feather combinations can be used for wings and tall. Create your own

designs, and develop your patterns.

CORK BODIED BASS BUGS

(SEE DIAGRAM 10)

These high floaters are easy to make and may be tied on most any size

hook desired. Kinked shank hooks should be used to prevent the body

from turning on the {57} hook. Colored lacquer or enamel can be used to

decorate the bodies, and eyes can be either painted on, or regular small

glass eyes inserted and held in place with water-proof glue or lacquer.

Any of the fancy feathers that are used for regular bass flies can be

used for wings. Hair or feathers can be used for tails, etc. Let us

first make one of these cork bodied Bugs on a size 1/0 hook. Take a 1/2"

cork cylinder and with a razor blade shape it roughly as Diagram 10,

Figs. 1 and 2. Then with a piece of 00 sandpaper held in the right hand

and the cylinder in the left it is a very simple matter to give the body

a nice smooth, shapely finish. Next cut a small V out of the body as in

Fig. 3. This is easier to fit to the hook and easier to cement securely

than simply making a slit in the cork. Press the V slit over the hook as

in Fig. 4. Apply cement or lacquer liberally to the inside of the V

slot, and to the hook shank. Press the piece that was removed securely

back into place, bind tightly with string, as in Fig. 5, and let set

over night. Next day when the cement has thoroughly dried and the body

is permanently fastened to the hook, remove the string and with the

sandpaper touch up any rough places on the body, and give a coat of

lacquer or enamel of the desired color.

{58}

[Illustration: Diagram 10. Page sized diagram showing drawings of cork

bodied bass bug construction.]

When the body enamel has dried, take a pair of feathers for wings (whole

feathers that have the quill in the centre, same as are used for regular

bass fly wings are best), and with the {59} tying silk bind these fast to

the top side of the shoulders as in Fig. 6. Tie on a tail close to the

body, paint on the eyes, paint any other color or designs you wish on

the body, and the Bug is completed.

{60}

[Illustration: Diagram 11. Page sized diagram showing drawings of angler's

knots.]

{61}