TBH “inch” nymph

 

This fly has it's origins based on my non bead-head inch nymph fly that I started tying over 20 years ago. For about 10 years now I have been tying this bead-head version in in black, dark olive, Adams colours, claret and brown.

It's a great buggy looking fly and one of the on-going inclusions in my nymph fly box.

tbh-inch- black tbh-inch-olive tbh-inch-adams tbh-inch-claret

Materials - Black nymph

Hook Weight Thread Tail Rib Body Wing casing Wings Thorax
Long shank size #10 or #14 Silver TBH bead 3.5mm or 2.5mm Black Cock hackle fibres Medium or fine silver wire Black Squirrel dubbing Crow hackle fibres Cock hackle fibres 50/50 squirrel and seals fur dubbing

Materials - Olive nymph

Hook Weight Thread Tail Rib Body Wing casing Wings Thorax
Long shank size #10 or #14 Copper TBH bead 3.5mm or 2.5mm Olive brown Cock hackle fibres Medium or fine copper wire Olive Squirrel dubbing Cock hackle fibres Cock hackle fibres 50/50 squirrel and seals fur dubbing

Materials - Claret nymph

Hook Weight Thread Tail Rib Body Wing casing Wings Thorax
Long shank size #10 or #14 Gold TBH bead 3.5mm or 2.5mm Claret or brown Cock or pheasant tail fibres died claret Medium or fine copper wire Claret Squirrel dubbing Cock or pheasant tail fibres died claret Cock or pheasant tail fibres died claret 50/50 squirrel and seals fur dubbing

Materials - Adams nymph

Hook Weight Thread Tail Rib Body Wing casing Wings Thorax
Long shank size #10 or #14 Copper TBH bead 3.5mm or 2.5mm Dark gray Grizzley hackle fibres Medium or fine copper wire Grey squirrel dubbing Grizzley hackle fibres Grizzley hackle fibres 50/50 squirrel and seals fur dubbing

Materials - Brown nymph

Hook Weight Thread Tail Rib Body Wing casing Wings Thorax
Long shank size #10 or #14 Dark brown Gold TBH bead 3.5mm or 2.5mm Pheasant hackle fibres Medium or fine copper wire Dark brown Squirrel dubbing Pheasant hackle fibres Pheasant hackle fibres 50/50 squirrel and seals fur dubbing

Process

A
  1. Select your long shank hook. There are plenty to choose from and in this case I have chosen a Partridge ideal streamer hook in size #10.
  2. When I tie size #14 TBH inch nymphs I use 2.5mm beads and the small size in wire ribbing.
  3. Most beads have a large opening at one end and a smaller opening at the other. For a size 10 hook slide a 3.5mm copper tungsten bead over the point of the hook small opening first and position it behind the eye of the hook.
  4. Wind the thread in touching turns to the bend of the hook.
 tbh-inch-a

B
  1. Tie in a tail of 6 to 8 hackle fibres equal in length of the shank of the hook.
 tbh-inch-b

C
  1. Place the tip of the wire ribbing material inside the rear hole in the bead and tie the wire in along the top of the hook shank all the way to the bend of the hook.
  2. I like to lift the wire up and to put two wraps of thread around the tail just to make sure that it sits firmly on top of the hook shank and is not going to be pulled out of place when I rib the fly with the wire.
 tbh-inch-c

D
  1. Using the single strand dubbing method dub on a cigar shaped body along most of the fly.
tbh-inch-d

E
  1. Wind the wire forward along the body of the fly forming 4 or 5 segments along the rear half of the fly.
  2. Take the wire a forward all the way to behind the bead head and worry off the excess.
  3. Take the thread back to the half way point.
 tbh-inch-e
F
  1. Tie in a slip of the wing casing material that you have chosen at the half way point, on top of the hook shank, with the underside facing up and the excess slip hanging over the back of the fly.
  2. Once I have tied the wing casing in I like to pull the tag end forward to make sure that the wing casing is going to look uniform and roughly as wide as the fly. If it's not right go back a step and reposition the wing casing material and try again.
 tbh-inch-f

G
  1. Dub on the thorax of the fly, leaving a small gap between the thorax and the bead, making sure it's a little thicker than the thickest part of the body.
  2. Select a slip of hackle fibres that your using as the wing slips, as I have called them, when in reality they are probably better described as either legs or breathing siphons. Anyway position the slip so that you can tie it in on top of the hook shank directly behind the bead with the tips facing forward a distance only a little longer than the gape of the hook.
  3. Tie the wing slip in with several firm wraps of thread.
 tbh-inch-g

H
  1. Trim away the butt ends of the wing slip.
 tbh-inch-h

I
  1. Select the front half of the wing slip and on the front side of the fly pull it back and down so that it is on the front side of the fly in the shape of short wing.
  2. Secure that in that position with just one or two wraps of thread.
 tbh-inch-i
J
  1. Rotate the fly 90 degrees toward you so that you have access to the remaining half of the wing slip.
  2. Pull the remaining half of the wing slip so that it is on the back side of the fly in the shape of short wing similar to the wing on the front side of the fly.
  3. Secure the back wing in that position with just one or two wraps of thread.
 tbh-inch-j

K
  1. Select a tiny amount of dubbing and dubb a fine collar between the wings and the bead.
 tbh-inch-k

L
  1. Rotate the fly back up.
  2. Pick up the wing casing feather slip and pull the tag end forward making sure that the wing casing looks uniform and roughly as wide as the fly.
  3. Lock the wing casing in directly behind the bead with several firm wraps of thread.
  4. Trim away the excess wing casing material.
  5. Whip finish behind the bead and apply a couple of drops of head cement to that whip finish and over the full bead so as to stop it from tarnishing.
 tbh-inch-l



Last Updated: March 12, 2017
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Categories: Bead head nymphs, Flies, My 'trout' river wet fly box, Trout flies
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