Hook: Mustad 9672 (or 3XL equivalent), 8 - 12.
Thread: Dark-olive 6/0, prewaxed Flymaster.
Tail: Olive dyed pheasant-rump philo, abdomen length.
Abdomen: Olive dyed pheasant-rump philo,
wound on with dubbing loop.
Thorax: Olive dyed pheasant-rump philo, thicker
than abdomen.
Wing case: Medium olive swisstraw, with stub.
Eyes: Black or olive dyed (prepared by burning
the ends of a short piece of extra-heavy monofilaent.
Install color with felt tip marker as you burn it).
Head: Dark-olive 6/0 prewaxed Flymaster.
Early in my career, I spent two weeks learning to
dress damsel nymph patterns at Henry's Lake. I had
a number of tutors. Some believed we should dress
simple patterns, others opted for more complicated
designs. While simple "stick flies" will often
outperform more realistic patterns, even the most
dyed-in-the-wool proponent of simplistic design will
sometimes relent and "improve" his patterns with
subtle changes.
The original Pheasant-rump Damsel was developed by
Boisean Ken Magee. It is one of the most productive
damsel pattern sold in the Idaho market. I won't
guarantee the bead-eye version will catch more fish
on a given day than the original...but then maybe it
will.
My basic theory on tying trout patterns, is to emphasize
the dominant characteristic of the bug I'm trying to
imitate. I tie my dragonfly nymph patterns with a chunky
abdomen. If I decide to "improve" my dragonfly patterns,
I will add bead-eyes, the naturals second most dominant
feature.
The natural damsel pattern has a thin body and prominent
eyes. Adding eyeballs to any of our damsel patterns, will
often improve their effectiveness...to some degree.
How far should we go in attempting to improve already
successful fly patterns? Only as far as our imagination,
tying skills, and patience will allow. ~ Marv
About Marv
Marv Taylor's books, Float-Tubing The West,
The Successful Angler's Journal,
More Fragments of the Puzzle, (Volume I) and More
Fragments of the Puzzle, (Volume II) are all available from
Marv. You can reach Marv by email at
marvtroutman@juno.com or by phone: 208-322-5760.
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