Are there any well known fish catching nymphs that you can’t catch a fish on no matter how much you try?
My example is the Skip Nymph. It makes sense to me with the dark back and lighter belly. I have confidence in it when I tie it on because it looks so good. I just can’t catch anything with it or its different colors or variations. I’ll go back over the same water with a traditional Hare’s Ear or PT in the same size and weight and be successful.
Do you have any nymphs like this?
Joe
I know what you mean. Everyone seems to have one of those flies that works for everyone else, but not for them. For me, it’s the Prince. I’m sure it’s a confidence thing. There are some in my fly box, but I don’t tie them on as often as I should and when I do try them, it’s usually tough conditions and / or I don’t give them a good chance. Or maybe it’s that I don’t tie those biot tails and wings very well!
A #16 Prince was my son’s killer fly on the Norfork River, Arkansas…
The Copper John really does do me much good.
Standard BH Hare’s Ear (use Bead, Hare, and Copper instead)
Kaufmann Stones
Pat’s Rubberlegs aka Turds aka Girdle Bugs in any color except brown
Sparkle Pupae and Deep Sparkle Pupae
never caught fish on PT and Hare’s ear. would have included zugbug too until last year in the Fall when anything and everything hit it on the Ausable in NY. go figure
can’t seem to catch fish on nymphs. think I need to fish them more like a worm or salmon egg
A lot of patterns were tied for a certain region or river system and might not work else where. Have seen this over the years. I am sure some of the patterns I tie for this region will not work in other areas, then there are ones that do work othe places. just have to have all the flies out there. I’m still working on my 60,000 fly patterns i have stored…
“The Montana Nymph”…it was a flop in my box! I bought all the stuff to tie it many years ago. The black and yellow chenille with the black hackle. Geez I still have that junk.
Must not have had my tongue hangin’ out right when I fished it or maybe I didn’t tie it to spec, anyway…I bought into the publicity.
I’ll whip some up using vintage materials into this miracle fly for let’s say $5 bucks a copy. You pay handling and shipping for grief and aggravation …add $2 bucks a fly ;-).
Suitable for framing!!! 
Copper John! Never had a hit.
i have never caught a fish on a scud.
Walter,
Were these Sparkle and Deep Sparkle Pupae patterns tied using the blended method for the abdomen dubbing and veil ?
In my experience, tied in this manner, they will clobber Trout …
…on the desk…
…on the water…
PT/TB
Uncle Jesse has the whole world of fly choice down to his little “circle”.
Anyone who has ever been involved in any technical experimentation should tell you this. 
What “blended method” do you use? I tried touch dubbing and Gary LaFontaine’s yarn for the veil, but haven’t had a lot of luck with it.
Ginger Sparkle Pupa
Dubbing:
One-half squirrel belly Antron
One-half light cahill Superfine Dubbing
Veil:
One-half cahill cream Antron
One-eighth squirrel belly Antron
One-eighth golden stone Antron
One quarter white Antron
Each is blended together. The veil material is combed through with a fine toothed comb, on 'yer upper leg, until the colors are fully mixed ( like the one used for dog’s hair with the large and small sides). The dubbing is blended in the same manner then cut into 1/4" pieces and used as “touch dubbing”.
Ck. the article in FLY TYER - Spring 2006, ppgs. 20-29. I never caught squat with this pattern until I used this method.
PT/TB 
Thanks - will see if I can find the article. Is the ginger the best color? Use hair for the wing? Dub around in front of the veil for a head?
I’ve caught one fish on a yuk bug in more than 35 years of flyfishing. It was a 23" brown, tho. I also don’t fish prince nymphs, after giving up trying to not catch whitefish on them in Montana.
The head should be the same color as the abdomen, dubbed in front of the veil and wing. Wing pads are saddle hackle fibers to match the head. Pale deer hair for the Ginger and medium or dark deer hair for the others
These were the colors in the article:
Brown & Yellow Sparkle Pupae
Brown & Green
Brown
Ginger
Dark Gray
I added my own:
Cinnamon
Each has it’s own color recipe for the abdomen and veil…
I know how the circle works, but sometimes I have to make myself use something that I have not gained confidence in. Years ago I did that with a spinner bait bass fishing. Last year a discussion made me realize I had never caught a fish on a muddler. Next time I went trout fishing, I tied on a muddler and resolved that situation.
