Driftless nymph

Driftless nymph  (Web view)

This is the nymph that I’ve been using almost exclusively for the last 8 months. I’ve gone out 53 days and have caught 1,507 trout with it. You might suspect that I’m way too nerdy with numbers, and you’d be right. But it’s the numbers that I used to design this fly. All of its features were selected because the catch rate for each beat all the comparisons I made. It is really a fly designed by the trout themselves.

INSTRUCTIONS

It’s tied on a #16 competition jig hook, but instead of a slotted bead it uses a normal countersunk bead threaded through a cut straight pin that is tied to the hook shank. This allows the fly to be tied with the bead forward of the eye which balances it horizontally when it hangs in the water. The body is a copy of a Stewart Killer Bug, but uses Berroco Ultra Alpaca fine yarn in Barley. (The SemperFli Chadwick 477 Substitute Yarn works as well). The hackle is Hungarian Partridge. The thread and bead color are florescent orange.

By the time all the yarn and thread are wrapped the bead is tight against the head of the pin. Just for cosmetic purposes I began to paint the silver head of the pin with florescent nail polish to make it look "better". I don't think the fish care, but it looks more finished to me if its covered.Maybe I should test whether the fish actually do notice a difference.

I fish it with a long rod (12-13 feet), under a New Zealand strike indicator, just off the bottom with no fly line beyond the rod tip.

I mentioned “catch rate” earlier so I need to say that over the last 8 months using this fly I’ve caught a trout an average of every 9 minutes of fishing using this fly.

There are lots of great nymph patterns in the world and lots of fisherpersons better than me, but even the average guy can improve his game if he tries some new things and pays some attention to his numbers.Or at least that is my opinion. 😊