BURLAP NYMPH

SUBMITTED BY: Ken Burgess


Fly Tied by Ken Burgess
Photo taken by Ruben Breitkreutz

Here is a good searching pattern for tea-colored lakes in the Okanagan.

FISHING METHOD: Floating line with a 10 - 16 Ft leader. Use the count down method to get the fly just off the bottom. Use a slow to medium retrieve (4 - 8 seconds for each hand twist) with several quick 2 - 3 inch pulls every 15 - 30 seconds. Use the same retrieve for sinking lines.

 Hook  Mustad 9671 or 9672 size 8 -10
 Thread  6/0 or 8/0 black
 Tail  Pheasant tail or brown hackle fibers (optional)
 Rib  Fine copper wire (4 - 7 wraps)
 Abdomen  String from s burlap bag
 Wing Case  Pheasant tail fibers or reddish brown sparkle yarn
 Thorax  Peacock herl or burlap string
 Legs  Pheasant tail or brown hackle fibers

TYING NOTES:

  1. First pinch your barb, then lay a thread base down.

  2. Tie in the tail at this point (optional).

  3. Tie in the ribbing, then the burlap string the length of the hook shank.

  4. Wrap the burlap forward to the 2/3 point of the shank.

  5. Counter wind the ribbing material to the same point as the abdomen. Tie off both the ribbing and the burlap at this point.

  6. Tie in the wing case material by the butt ends of the fibers (the pheasant tail materials need to cover the thorax, plus the length between the eye of the hook and the point of the hook).

  7. Tie in the herl and build the thorax(3-5 whaps).

  8. Pull the wing case material forward and secure with a couple of wraps of thread.

  9. Pull the peasant tail back under or to either side of the hook.

  10. Secure the legs and build a small head with tying thread.

  11. Whip finish and cement the head of the fly.

OPTIONS: If you are using sparkle yarn for the wing case, spin on a soft partridge feather for smaller size hooks, or a grey pheasant rump feather for larger hooks. You can either clip the topside of the hackle or spread it and pull the wing case (yarn) over, tie it off and form a small head. Whip finish and cement the head.