I am curious… Weighted or unweighted? What’s your favorite pattern?
i never found a need to weight. where i fished the damsels crawled to the top of the weeds a foot or so sub surface and began the migration. fish took lots of the damsels in the film and near shore line. when fish are on damsels anything smallish, green (chartreuse too) or brown works.
Lightly weighted if any. I like the marabou damsels. many variations, but my favorite is the single feather version (in olive) using a marabou plume, tie in the tips for the tail, but leave the rest attached. After securing the tail, tie in a piece of gold ribbing, then twist the rest of the feather into a ‘rope’ and wrap up the hook. Secure behind the head (leave a little room in front) then counter wrap the rib, secure, and add small bunch of marabou fibers on top (opposite a throat). for more weight a bead or cone head or bead-chain eyes. Mono eyes or a plastic beadhead will give a nice look (to the tyer) without weight, I doubt the fish care though.
I tie Gierach’s Hare’s Ear Damsel.
Daichi 1870 hook
Small mono eyes
Tail: Partridge
Body: Hares Ear
Shell back: some kind of feather or Puglisi fibers
Wing: Partridge
Thorax and head: Hares Ear
I’d point out that even small mono eyes will cause the hook to ride upside down a la a clouser. According to Gierach, because the hook shank on the 1870 has a dip that goes below the eye of the hook (you put the mono eyes in the dip), the fly won’t fip over.
I don’t use weight on the fly. If needed, I’ll put on a small split shot.
I would encourage you to tie them up to at least #6. Was fishing the ‘hatch’ years ago on one of the prairie lakes west of Laramie,Wy., and catching nothing. I was using a #10 green Hare’s Ear nymph. A local individual, who I had met there years earlier, who was fishing the backside of the lake and catching them right-and-left, called it a day, approached me and asked to see my fly. His comment was: “You are using the right pattern, but it is not big enough. You need a size 6!” Not having any that big, I got in my car and drove into the nearest fly shop, bought some, went back, and immediately started catching fish.
Had a similar experience about the same time during a trico hatch on the N. Platte near Saratoga. Was told by a local guide/shop owner that the trout in that area had a decided preference for a size 18 trico, as opposed to the ‘standard’ 20-22 sizes that most fish. He proved to be correct. The inference is that on occasion, it can pay to err a size or two on the large side in your flies.
articulated. a little weight on the front hook, none on tail. This gets a good swimming (jigging) action
Hi Zac,
I have done well with a #10 or #12 olive marabou damsel pattern, and have only tied those two sizes, but the idea of using a larger one is interesting. The nymph can also be tied in brown, but I have only tied the olive version. However, maybe I should give the brown a try also. The version I tie is as follows:
Pattern: marabou damsel
Hook: #10 or #12 3X long (I use a Mustad 9672)
Thread: Olive
Tail: Olive marabou
Rib: Olive floss
Abdomen: Olive dubbing
Wingcase: Olive marabou
Legs: The stiff straight barbuless tips of olive marabou plumes
Thorax: Olive dubbing
Eyes: 50 lbs monofilament melted into dumbell shape
Head: thread
Regards,
Gandolf
Your timing on this thread is great. I was just beginning to investigate damsel nymphs myself. I was starting with my attempt at Polly Rosborough’s Green Damsel, because it is so simple to tie.
I’ve seen some very easy to tie marabou damsel patterns. They are very similar to the twisted damsels from the fly of the week. Try the red eye damsel (another FOTW) using bead chain instead of chenille, and it doesn’t get much simpler than that.
Yeah, that red eye damsel is even an easier one that what was tying. And I’m sure it works great too. I think a little bit of red on the fly somewhere is often more effective.