opening day nymph
For trout fishers, there are few days so eagerly anticipated as the "opener." Most anglers have plans mapped-out months in advance, equipment prepared flies tied etc. For better or for worse, my openers have seldom unfolded as expected. There is one opening day that stands out above and beyond all the others for me though…..a handsome brown caught within 20 minutes of starting out on a nymph I kind of thought I’d invented. This sounds like a very common scenario, I know. It is, however, a moment in time early in my fly fishing/tying life that had a profound effect on me.
In the two previous years of fishing this river I’d spent a great deal of time collecting samples from the bottoms of rocks, drifting in the current and on streamside rocks and foliage. The sample mayfly nymphs I caught in the current were often a rust brown/black color, only slightly more "red" than the black stonefly nymphs I found clinging to the bottoms of rocks. I began to form a picture in my mind of a fly that might encompass many of the size, shape and color traits of the naturals I’d seen. I decided that, unlike many of the nymph patterns I tied that were bead-headed attractors, this would need to be subdued. I’d need to feel confident I could drift it through the same run numerous times without setting off any alarm bells with the trout. Using the gold-ribbed hare’s ear as a starting point, I tied the fly pattern you see here. On it’s debut, I hooked and landed my first big brown. In my journal, I named the pattern the "Opening Day Nymph." I still tie, and use the fly to this day.
A note on the hook: The hook used here IS a dry fly hook. I prefer to use either dry fly hooks, or curved shank fine wire hooks for all my nymphs. Feel free to substitute actual nymph hooks when you tie this fly
Weight:Med. lead wire
Thread:Dark Brown 8/0
Tail:Mallard flank fibers, dark brown
Body:Dark brown Hare’s mask blended with gray squirrel (approx: 75/25)
Rib:Medium copper wire
Wing case/Legs:Mallard flank feather, dark brown
Make several wraps of lead, secure at both ends as shown. Wind thread back to bend.
Tie in the mallard flank fibers for the tail, about a shank-length. Tie in the copper wire.
Dub the abdomen approx. 3/4 of the way up the hook shank, wind copper rib forward as shown. Tie off.
Select a mallard flank feather with nice "barring" on it. Stroke the fibers toward the stem back, and out of the way.
Tie in as shown, the tips of the fibers in line with the tips of the tail fibers. Trim the other end of the feather off.
Dub the thorax a bit bulkier than the abdomen as shown. If I’m after a "spiky" appearance, i’ll often use wax when dubbing. This allows the dubbing to have a nice grip without having to spin it too tight. Be sure to leave some room behind the eye.
Pull the tips of the mallard flank forward, and over the eye of th hook as shown. With your left hand, make a couple of wraps of thread to secure it in position.
To create the legs, separate the fibers protruding forward into two equal parts. Stroke them back, and to the sides as shown.
Using several wraps of thread, bind the fibers so that the legs stay facing out, and back. Using your bodkin or dubbing brush, pick out some of the fur fibers on the bottom and sides of the thorax.
The finished fly
In the two previous years of fishing this river I’d spent a great deal of time collecting samples from the bottoms of rocks, drifting in the current and on streamside rocks and foliage. The sample mayfly nymphs I caught in the current were often a rust brown/black color, only slightly more "red" than the black stonefly nymphs I found clinging to the bottoms of rocks. I began to form a picture in my mind of a fly that might encompass many of the size, shape and color traits of the naturals I’d seen. I decided that, unlike many of the nymph patterns I tied that were bead-headed attractors, this would need to be subdued. I’d need to feel confident I could drift it through the same run numerous times without setting off any alarm bells with the trout. Using the gold-ribbed hare’s ear as a starting point, I tied the fly pattern you see here. On it’s debut, I hooked and landed my first big brown. In my journal, I named the pattern the "Opening Day Nymph." I still tie, and use the fly to this day.
A note on the hook: The hook used here IS a dry fly hook. I prefer to use either dry fly hooks, or curved shank fine wire hooks for all my nymphs. Feel free to substitute actual nymph hooks when you tie this fly
Tying The Opening-Day Nymph Pattern
Hook:Daiichi 1180/Tiemco 100 size #10 and #12Weight:Med. lead wire
Thread:Dark Brown 8/0
Tail:Mallard flank fibers, dark brown
Body:Dark brown Hare’s mask blended with gray squirrel (approx: 75/25)
Rib:Medium copper wire
Wing case/Legs:Mallard flank feather, dark brown
Make several wraps of lead, secure at both ends as shown. Wind thread back to bend.
Tie in the mallard flank fibers for the tail, about a shank-length. Tie in the copper wire.
Dub the abdomen approx. 3/4 of the way up the hook shank, wind copper rib forward as shown. Tie off.
Select a mallard flank feather with nice "barring" on it. Stroke the fibers toward the stem back, and out of the way.
Tie in as shown, the tips of the fibers in line with the tips of the tail fibers. Trim the other end of the feather off.
Dub the thorax a bit bulkier than the abdomen as shown. If I’m after a "spiky" appearance, i’ll often use wax when dubbing. This allows the dubbing to have a nice grip without having to spin it too tight. Be sure to leave some room behind the eye.
Pull the tips of the mallard flank forward, and over the eye of th hook as shown. With your left hand, make a couple of wraps of thread to secure it in position.
To create the legs, separate the fibers protruding forward into two equal parts. Stroke them back, and to the sides as shown.
Using several wraps of thread, bind the fibers so that the legs stay facing out, and back. Using your bodkin or dubbing brush, pick out some of the fur fibers on the bottom and sides of the thorax.
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