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NYMPHS & WETS

STEVE'S DAMSEL

There ore over 100 identifies species of Damselflies in Australia and the lava which are usually slender with three terminal gills, that present as tails, form a significant part of a trouts diet. Their bodies have around 10 segments, they have 6 legs and they often have emerging wings. Most appear to be shades of yellow / olive  and brown / yellow with some being quite dark and others quite pale.

    
TYPICAL DAMSEL NYMPH

STEVE'S DAMSEL
 

MATERIALS:

Hook -  Size 8 to 12 extra long shank
Thread  - Olive
Tail -  Rabbit fur or marabou feather fibres
Rib -  Fine copper wire
Weight -  Lead wire if require
Body & thorax -  Mohair or dubbing
Wing casing - Peacock herl  or pheasant tail fibres

Legs  - Oversize hen hackle or rabbit fur
Eyes  - Burnt monofilament



A)
  1. Wind the thread in touching turns to the bend of the hook.
  2. Tie in a tail about two thirds the length of the hook shank.





B)
  1. Take the thread to the front of the hook and tie about ten hackles in with the butt ends sticking out in front of the fly a distance equal to about half the shank of the hook.
  2. make a set of burnt monofilament eyes that are about as wide as the gape of the hook.








C)
  1. Tie the burnt monofilament eyes in at about the 90% position.
  2. Tie in a length of copper wire behind the eyes and then tie it along the hook shank all the way to the bend of the hook.





 

D)

  1. Dub on a body starting at almost nothing and gradually increasing in width all the way to the eyes.
  2. Wind the copper wire along the body of the fly forming 5 or 6 segments.
  3. Take an extra turn of the copper wire behind the eyes and break off the excess.
  4. Tie a bunch of hackle fibers just behind the eyes by their tips with the butt ends extending backwards about half the distance along the body of the fly.



 

 

E)

Take a small bunch of rabbit fur and divide it into a V.

 

 

 

 

F)

  1. Tie the rabbit fur in behind the eyes so that an equal amount splays out along the side of the fly toward the back.
  2. Trim the butt ends of the rabbit fur.

 

 

 

G)

  1. Dub on a thorax all the way to the eye of the hook covering all the tie ins as you go.
  2. Return the thread to behind the monofilament eyes.

 

 

 

 

H)

  1. Pull the wing casing back over the thorax of the fly and tie it off behind the monofilament eyes.
  2. Take the thread forward under the thorax and whip finish and varnish the whip finishing knot directly behind the eye of the hook.
Copyright © 2005 Stephen Chatterton / Fish on Fly P/L - All rights reserved.
Last modified:11-Jun-2008.

 

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