Sinkline's Damsel Nymph

**Sinkline** · April 19th, 2011, 04:29 AM

If there is anything good about getting older (I’m 53), more specifically, an older flyfisher/fly tier, it is that older flyfisher’s patterns have had a chance to prove their worth over decades of time. Some patterns prove to be terrible mistakes, others prove average, and a few prove to be highly successful accounting for hundreds of caught/released fish! So it is with my Damsel nymph. I tied this pattern over two decades ago and with only minor variation (hook, tail, legs) over the years it has proven itself to be a killer Spring season fly. This pattern has accounted for literally hundreds of Oregon Rainbow, Brown, Brook, and an occasional Cutthroat trout.

Generally I like to tie patterns that might be viewed as “suggestive” in design and not so exact that they could be considered “realistic”. However, my Damsel nymph pattern appears closer to the latter but that was my goal. Many years ago as I was designing this pattern in my mind’s eye, I thought about the unique shape of a Damsel nymph as compared to many other common stillwater bugs. I remember thinking I wanted a pattern that when viewed from below by hunting trout, would show a silhouette that could not be mistaken for anything but a Damsel. To that end, this pattern succeeds very well.

I fish this pattern on a clear (Cortland Clear-Camo) intermediate line with about a 10’ (3m) leader using a tippet between 4X-2X. The fly is tied on with a no-slip loop knot.

A Damsel nymph swims with a seductive side to side snake like action which is impossible to duplicate exactly. But I use a method that gives some impression of that swimming motion. While keeping my rod tip low and pointing straight down the line, I wiggle my rod hand/wrist up and down as fast as I can but only moving the rod tip a few inches. The action imparted to the fly appears as a rapid constant twitch. This method combined with a slow hand twist makes for a laborious retrieve but it works. Takes are often savage and violent! I’ve had fish rip the fly right off 6lb. (3kg) tippet in less time than it takes to realize it happened!

I fish this pattern with two methods. If I am searching for fish I will troll the pattern from my tube along a drop off, or across a shoal with just enough line trailing to keep the pattern in the zone I expect the fish to be in. If the Damsel migration is in full swing I will hug the rush and cast out onto the shoal retrieving toward shore. Sometimes I leave the tube and wade shallow casting and retrieving.

Hanging flies from a bobber seems to be all the rage these days and for good reason, it works! But if you want some pure adrenaline filled Stillwater fishing, don’t forget your Damsel nymph patterns and your intermediate line during the month of June!

Sinkline’s Damsel Nymph

Hook: Daiichi 1750 (1X heavy, 4X long) size-12, or size-10 for a slightly larger nymph.
Thread: Olive Dun 6/0.
Body: Medium Olive soft synthetic that dubs tight and smooth.
Wing Case: Medium Olive domestic turkey tail (I color a natural with an olive Pantone marker).
Rib: Gold fine wire (counter wound).
Tail: Medium Olive mink fur with the guard hairs pulled out.
Legs: Medium Olive micro rubber legs.
Eyes: Green Maxima 40-lb. melted. Use a 3/8” (9mm) piece for proper diameter eyes.
Overall Length: 1” (25mm) for the size #12 hook, and 1-1/4” (32mm) for the size #10 hook.
Weight: None (let the line do the work).

Note: The head of the fly crowds the hook eye on purpose in order to keep the mono-eyes as far forward as possible. If you can get the tippet through the eye you are good to go but it may not look as nice as some folks like. It’s for fishn’…, not gawkn’ at!

Hope you enjoy my pattern.

Randy