Nymphs

Spider type flies like the Black and Peacock are very buggy and suggestive flies. Weather being used as a polaroiding fly, a static wet, one of the flies in a team of loch style flies, or a fly to cover rising fish spider type soft hackle flies may be taken as a snail, submerged beetle, drowned…

Although this is a nifty way of representing legs on a fly, particularly a nymph, it is not used very often. Materials Hook Thread Tail Rib Weight Body, thorax Wing casing Legs Size 10 & 14 long shank (Tiemco 3761 SPL) To suit body Feather fibres Fine copper wire Lead wire if required Dubbing…

The Pheasant Tail Nymph was created by Frank Sawyer during his days as river keeper on the Avon River in Wiltshire in England. The fly that he tied was not representational of any particular mayfly nymph but rather is suggestive of the broad range of nymphs that he came across in his duties and his…

This British fly fly gets heaps of mentions in the UK magazines that I read. When it all boils down the "Cruncher" isn't that different to so many nymphs that you see but it does have a trigger point in the form of the front hackle and of course as you would expect it does catch fish. I tend to…

In fast flowing water or where you just want your nymph to stand out a little a Flash Back nymph is an option. Whilst this nymph is not tied 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. I generally only…

Based on the Montana nymph which was developed in the earlier days of fly fishing in Montana America as an imitation for a stone fly. It has two distinct uses. The first is as a bait fly when fished behind a bead head nymph in faster rivers and streams. The second use is as as a middle dropper fly…

The Montana nymph was developed in the earlier days of fly fishing in Montana America as an imitation for a stonefly. It has two distinct uses. The first is as a bait fly when fished behind a bead head nymph in faster rivers and streams. The second use is as as a middle dropper fly in a team of…

This is the lava of a Caddis fly (or Sedge) and is common from September through to December particularly in the flooded margins of lakes. Can be fished relatively static as a prospecting fly with a very slow retrieve or used as an ambush fly when polaroiding. Materials   Hook Thread Head Legs…

This fly has stood the test of time and has been on this web site since 2005. Over the last 10 or so years it has been my 'go to' fly when fishing to sighted fish or prospecting the shores of Lake Jindabyne particularly around our home village of Kalkite. The medium weight of the TMC 3769 hook is…

There are over 100 different species of Damselflies in Australia and the lava which are usually slender with three terminal gills, that present as tails, form a significant part of a trout's diet. Their bodies have around 10 segments, they have 6 legs and they often have emerging wings. Most appear…

The name of this fly is Welsh and literally means "little devil". Regarded by many as one of the best flies ever created this fly is a great tie on as trout take it for everything from midge pupa right through to nymphs and stick caddis. I normally fish smaller sizes as a midge pupa and from time…

The Brassie fly has been around for a long time and certainly has a place in ever river fly box. It's a handy fly to have on hand if you need a buggy looking fly that sinks quickly or an anchor fly for a team of two or three flies. If this fly isn't heavy enough for your application try the bead…

There are over 470 species of Caddis flies in Australia and they all lay their copious numbers of eggs in water. Given the numbers of caddis pupa (or nymphs) that hatch it's not surprising that Caddis fly pupa form arguably the largest part of a trout's diet. Caddis flies are of the order…

There are over 470 species of Caddis flies in Australia and they all lay their copious numbers of eggs in water. Given the numbers of caddis pupa (or nymphs) that hatch it's not surprising that Caddis fly pupa form arguably the largest part of a trout's diet. Caddis flies are of the order…

Stoneflies thrive in the rubble of cold well oxygenated rivers & streams. They are an available food source throughout the season and fish may feed on them to the exclusion of all other food sources particularly during hatches. The nymphs crawl along the bottom and exit the water at the stream…

Many anglers think that scud are shrimp but in fact they are not. Whilst they are Crustaceans they are of the Amphipoda order and are distinguished from shrimp both in habit and design. They spend their life inhabiting the detritus matter in both flowing and still water and take on the colour of…

There are more versions of stick flies than you can poke a stick at (excuse the pun) and this one is a compilation of a couple that I like. It's easy to tie and works well particularly early in the season when the water is just starting to warm up and there isn't that much food about. Fish it…

The flooding of new ground and vegetation seems to single to frogs that its time to lay their eggs. Then 10 to 15 days later assuming the water is warm enough and hasn't dropped killing the eggs you can expect a hatch of tadpoles. These tadpoles are a favourite food of trout and you will often find…

What does it take to make a nymph float? There are really two simple elements behind the science that explains why things float or appear to float. The first part of the science is pretty simple and is down to Archimedes who worked out that for something to float it had to displace at least its own…

Because the nymphs of many mayflies and caddis spend a good part of their life cycle living under rocks in both still and running water its not surprising that many have taken on a relatively flat form. This knitted grub has a relatively flat body mimicking many of the naturals and also has plenty…

This fly has stood the test of time being designed in the 1930's as a cased caddis imitation in the Catskills by Cliff Zug. It continues to be relevant today on any water where caddis are relevant. It is equally at home in rivers and lakes. It's no surprise that the body is peacock herl a material…

This fly has stood the test of time being designed in the 1930's as a cased caddis imitation in the Catskills by Cliff Zug. It continues to be relevant today on any water where caddis are on the menu. It is equally at home in rivers and lakes. It's no surprise that the body is peacock herl a…

This is probably up there in the top 3 or 4 best known nymph patterns. It's a pattern that has stood the test of time and is suggestive of a wide range of caddis and mayfly nymphs and is best fished close to the bottom. It doesn't matter if your in Argentina or Australia or any where between, past,…

In the late 90's I was president of Illawarra Fly Fishers Club (IFF) and lived in Wollongong but was lucky enough to have a holiday home on the shores of Lake Jindabyne. My favourite form of fly fishing at that time was polaroiding wild brown trout along the shores of Lake Jindabyne. That process…

More of a class of fly than a fly in itself because you will find UV crunchers tied a all sorts of colours from black right through to dun colours and pale olives. I like this particular tie because it incorporates peacock herl which is one of my favourite fly tying materials. Materials   Hook…

When Chironomids are around they tend to be around in large numbers and trout become quickly switched on and gorge on them. There are number of techniques to target chironomid feeders and one of my favourite is to fish three chironomid imitations with the heaviest on the point with a long leader on…

Published: Jan 1, 2011 If your only going to carry one nymph pattern this is the one. As a river fly this is my favourite non bead head nymph and it can be fished very effectively alone or in a team. When lock style fishing in lakes this fly can be fished in any position in a team. If you work…

This fly hangs from the surface with the bend of the hook down much in the same way as the natural hangs just as it is breaking the water surface – anyway that's my story and I'm sticking to it. In any case it is a suggestive fly that  has taken many fish during evening midge hatches. Try it in…

Flies that represent spiders and beetles are very buggy and suggestive flies. Weather being used as a polaroiding fly, a static wet, one of the flies in a team of loch style flies, or a fly to cover rising fish spider type soft hackle flies may be taken as a snail, submerged beetle, drowned…

This is just a great all round nymph. Whilst this nymph is not tied 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, dark olive, claret as well as Red Tag and  Adams or  Hare &…

I have fond memories of this fly from my early days of fly fishing. One of my favourite destinations was 'Frying Pan' which is the closest lake Eucumbene destination to Cooma where the TC was designed by Cooma resident Frank Tarlington. On one of those memorable trips to 'Frying Pan' I was…

Whilst there are over 5000 different species of aquatic bugs Australia only two are of significance to the fly fisherman. The family Corixidae or Water Boatman come in a variety of shapes but all generally consist of a body between 5 and 10 mm in length. They have two sets of wings with the font…

As long as there is a flow in a river to work a fly then English styled spiders are an option. Particularly if you want to target educated fish in clear slower water. They land softly and are suggestive little flies. The combination of the buggy shape, the movement of the soft hackle often produce…

There are over 470 species of Caddis flies in Australia and they all lay their copious numbers of eggs in water.  Given the numbers of caddis pupa (or nymphs) that hatch it's not surprising that Caddis fly pupa form arguably the largest part of a trout's diet. Caddis flies are of the order…

Although a similar tie to my fuzzy nymph this fly incorporates your choice of Hends Spectra dubbing for the thorax. This makes the fly a lot more visible in dirtier water and also a great alternative to bigger flashy nymphs such as Montana nymphs. I also tie it with a little added weight because if…

There are over 470 species of Caddis flies in Australia and they all lay their copious numbers of eggs in water.  Given the numbers of caddis pupa (or nymphs) that hatch it's not surprising that Caddis fly pupa form arguably the largest part of a trouts diet. Most caddis grubs make a retreat of…

This variation of Frank Sawyers Pheasant Tail Nymph takes into account the shorter herl on pheasant tails that dominate the market these days and to include the substitution of peacock or coloured dubbing in the thorax and the addition of legs. Pheasant tails vary in colour in their natural form…

This is very popular Northern hemisphere fly and whist it more popular in still water it also has its uses in running water. Appealing to fish that are on mixed diet that includes mayfly nymph and midge. Materials   Hook Thread Tai and body Ribbing Thorax Wing casing Breathers 10 to 14 nymph…

Over the last few years some of the best fishing I have had has been polaroiding to wild brown trout in the relatively clear waters of Lake Jindabyne. I find my self spending more and more time engaged in this "hunting" like pursuit. The more time I have spent watching the behavior of fish when…

As long as there is a flow in a river to work a fly then English Spiders are an option.  Particularly if you want to target educated fish in clear slower water. They land softly  and are suggestive little flies. The combination of  the buggy shape, the movement of the soft hackle often produce a…

This is an old pattern and whilst it can be dressed in many different ways I prefer it dressed as described below which is similar to the original form with the exception of the tail which I prefer to be much finer than the original. I guess that makes it like a small Woolly Bugger. This fly works…

I can remember the first time I tied this fly. I had lost a few nymphs during the day and had limited resources on hand to make up some replacements. A little dubbing and a few church window feather (rein neck pheasant) later and the church nymph was born. It's not dissimilar to many other nymphs I…

This is a very effective fly for fast water because it sinks fast and the placement of the lead shot gives the fly a propensity to ride point up reducing the propensity  of snagging. It can be used on its own just to bounce along the bottom or to sink a second fly such as a an egg fly or unweighted…