What good is it?

[pittendrigh]

This is a substantially new way to make a nymph. And I did catch a few fish on these yesterday. That's not to say I caught any more or less than I would have on something else. Truly new patterns take a season or more to evaluate with confidence. But a fish in hand does say something.

This fly is tied on a beading needle, on top of a length of Spanflex rubberleg material, with a 1" or so rubberleg tag extending forward. Slid off the needle. Threaded the rubberleg tag into a bead. Tied the tag end of the rubberleg onto a scud hook and trimmed it off. This one is approximately the size of a #14 or #16 Hare's ear. The easiest fly to tie I know is a simple soft hackle, with what ever generic body you want to make. A simple soft hackle is not only the easiest of all flies to tie it is--at times--one of the most effective too. Fast easy and effective is hard to argue with.

So I'm not sure there is any argument or benefit to tying a nymph this way. Not yet anyway. This is still just an experiment. But it does catch fish. And it is a substantially new way to tie. For what ever that's worth.

Rubber Dub

[Uncle Jesse]

There are a lot of reason to think a nymph like this would be effective, no hard steel backbone to start off with, increase moment of the body, adding a disc perpendicular to the hook shank might add even more action against retrieval or current. My my old slick skull this does not appear to be easier than a typical nymph however, actually a little more difficult. I do like your mad scientist mind however, "It's alive, it's alive!!!"

[spoof85]

nice fly, ever think about flipping the hook?
or placing the bead on the hook, and running the body the same way, just upside down?
might be difficult to keep it point up...... just a thought....
still nice tie!

sincerely,
spoof

[pittendrigh]

Yes. Good points. I've thought about all those things. I did fish this fly day before yesterday. But the water (Lower Madison, MT) is still so cloudy I couldn't tell for sure what posture it takes while drifting. Beads on curved shank hooks often flip over.

[KeatonsDad2]

Thats an impressive display of "thinking outside the box." Consider me intrigued.

[Gigmaster]

That is a wicked-looking nymph! That almost has to catch fish.

Great job. It should be a featured Fly Of The Week.