Top 4 River Nymphs
Over time, the quantity of flies in my fly box has grown but the number of patterns have shrunk. What you begin to realize is that you develop confidence in a handful of patterns and everything else gets neglected. I would vouch to say that any of the top international competitors would be more than happy to have only 5 of their go to nymphs in their fly box. However, although there might only be 5 true patterns, when you start multiplying that by hook sizes, bead colours and bead weight, you’ve almost got 1 fly box for a single pattern. What this boils down to is having absolute confidence in a small number of patterns while arming yourself with size and weight options for any situation.
Here are 5 nymphs that I wouldn’t step into a river without.
The Ireland Fly
The Ireland Fly has likely caught me more fish than any other fly in my box. It was first shown to me by Sean Cassidy of the Irish Youth Team at the 2013 Youth World Fly Fishing Championships. It ended up being our go-to pattern on the local rivers and ultimately something I brought home with me to help win many competitions after that.
Hook: Hanak 450 BL #14
Thread: Uni Thread - Hot Orange 8/0
Bead: 3.5mm Tungsten Bead - Silver
Tail: 5 Strands of Pheasant Tail
Body: Black UV Ice Dub
Rib: Silver Wire
Hot Spots (Collar and Arse): Hot Orange 8/0
2. Pink Bead Hares Ear
The Pink Bead Hares Ear rarely comes off my set up, being such a buggy and proven pattern, its hard to beat. Giving credit where credit is due, I was first put onto this pattern in the early 2010’s by Phil Short. Its undergone a couple modifications with the addition of glo-brite ribbing and CDC mixed into the collar but overall, nothings changed. This is something that I keep stocked from size 12-18 in varying weights as it has been productive for me in several continents.
Hook: Hanak 450 BL #14
Thread: Uni Thread - Hot Orange 8/0
Bead: 3.5mm Tungsten Bead - Light Pink
Tail: Coq de Leon
Body: Hares Ear Dubbing
Rib: Glo Brite #2 Pink
3. Thread Nymph
I first started using this fly at the 2016 World Fly Fishing Championships in Vail, Colorado by my team mates. I’ve heard various names for this pattern but I’d say the most common would be the Thread Nymph which I believe was developed by the Czech (could be totally wrong). Nonetheless, it was one our best flies at the Worlds and a fly I would have confidence tying on in any river.
Hook: Hanak 450 BL #14
Thread: Uni Thread - Blacke 8/0
Bead: 3.5mm Tungsten Bead - Copper
Tail: Coq de Leon
Body: Hares Ear Dubbing
Rib: Glo Brite #5 Hot Orange
Collar: UV Peacock Dubbin in front of Spiky Hares Ear Dubbing and CDC mix.
4. Culirroja Perdigón
This was my introduction to perdigon nymphs. I think I naturally gravitated towards this pattern because it had a very similar colour scheme to the Ireland Fly. Only difference is that it sinks much quicker with less weight. Being that the body is coated and cured with a UV glue, the fly essentially turns into a little stone with now fibres, dubbing or fur to slow its sink rate. After using this for a week in New Zealand during our week of practice, I’m a believer and have expanded my perdigon selection accordingly.
Hook: Hanak 230BL #16
Thread: Uni Thread - Hot Orange 8/0 and Black 16/0
Bead: 3mm Tungsten Bead - Silver
Tail: Coq de Leon
Body: Thread
Finish with UV resin and UV light, ensure a nice smooth taper.