Nymph
Crawling between mossy rocks in fast water
A size 8 olive stonefly nymph with a gold bead, chartreuse rib and resin wing case, for trout in fast, rocky water.
An olive stonefly nymph with a shaggy, segmented body, split tail and long forward antennae. Chartreuse wire ribs the olive dubbing, and a resin-glossed mottled turkey wing case sits over barred pheasant tail legs.
- Imitates
- Stonefly nymphs crawling to shore before emergence
- When
- typically late spring into early summer
- Hook
- size 8
- Tippet
- 3Xrule of three
- Gold tungsten bead sinks it quickly
- Chartreuse wire rib segments the body
- Resin-coated mottled turkey wing case
- Split biot tail and long antennae
- Barred pheasant tail legs
On the water
Fuzzy olive dubbing, banded with bright chartreuse wire, runs from a split tan tail to a glossy turkey wing case. Barred legs splay out underneath. Two thin antennae reach past the gold bead like feelers testing the current.
Fish it where white water tumbles around mossy boulders. Let the bead carry it down to the stones, then dead-drift it through the seams. A short lift at the end of the drift mimics a nymph losing its grip.
UV resin over the turkey wing case is the step to get right. Use a thin coat, cure it fast, and keep it off the legs so they still move.
Rigging
- Tippet
- 3Xhook size divided by three
- Leader
- Nine feet, with fluorocarbon tippet to get it down
- Tie it on 3X or 4X fluorocarbon tippet; the rocks and the fish both test the knot.
- Add split shot above it in heavy water so it ticks along the bottom.
- Dead-drift under an indicator, or high-stick it through short pockets with a tight line.
Where and when
- Hatch
- Stonefly nymphs crawling to shore before emergencetypically late spring into early summer
- Target
- Rainbow trout, Brown trout, Cutthroat trout
- Water type
- Fast riffles, pocket water and boulder-strewn runs
- Also fishes
- Also works under an indicator in tailwater runs and as the heavy point fly in a two-nymph rig on freestone rivers.
Make it yourself
Intermediate8 materials · 12 steps
- Style
- Nymph
- Hook
- Tiemco 5263size 8
- Thread
- Olive 6/0
Materials in the order they go on the hook
- BeadGold tungsten bead
- AntennaeTan goose biots
- TailTan goose biots
- RibChartreuse wire
- BodyOlive hare's ear dubbing
- WingMottled turkey tail coated in UV resin
- LegsPheasant tail fibers
- ThoraxOlive hare's ear dubbing
Details
- Imitates
- Stonefly
- Colors
- olive, chartreuse, mottled tan, gold
How to tie it
The steps, from first wrap to whip finish (12)
- Slide the gold tungsten bead onto the hook and mount it in the vise.
- Start the olive thread behind the bead and build a smooth base back to the bend.
- Tie in two tan goose biot antennae just behind the bead, splayed forward at about half a hook length.
- At the bend, tie in two tan goose biots for the tail, split into a V and about one third of the shank long.
- Tie in the chartreuse wire at the bend along the underside of the shank.
- Dub a shaggy, slightly tapered olive hare's ear abdomen over the rear two thirds of the shank.
- Wrap the wire forward in six to seven even ribs and tie it off.
- Tie in a slip of mottled turkey tail at the thorax, shiny side down, for the wing case.
- Tie in pheasant tail fibers on each side for the legs, angled back and down.
- Dub the olive thorax fuller than the abdomen, pulling the legs into position as you go.
- Pull the turkey slip over the thorax, tie it down behind the bead and trim the excess.
- Whip finish behind the bead, then coat the wing case with a thin layer of UV resin and cure.
Proportions (5)
- Tail: split biots about one third of the shank length.
- Abdomen: rear two thirds of the shank, tapering slightly toward the bend.
- Wing case: covers the front third, ending just behind the bead.
- Legs: reach roughly to the hook point.
- Antennae: about half a shank length beyond the bead.
Tips (4)
- Pick out the dubbing with a brush after ribbing so the fuzz stands up between the wire bands.
- Soak the biots for a minute before tying in; they split and stay put more easily.
- Fold the turkey slip twice over the thorax for a thicker, segmented wing case.
- Keep the thorax dubbing loose enough to push the legs outward.
Common mistakes (4)
- Crowding the bead: leave a small gap behind it so the wing case and whip finish have room.
- Ribs too close together: space the wire evenly so the body still reads as segments.
- Heavy resin that floods the legs: apply a thin bead with a fine tool and cure right away.
- Tail biots twisting together: lay a small ball of dubbing at the bend to split them.
Every kit size
Materials only
Size 8 · Materials only · 12 flies
$64.55
$5.38 a fly
Includes Tiemco 5263 · Gold tungsten bead · and 8 more
Every item in this kit · 10 items
Hooks & beads
- Tiemco 5263$6.50
- Gold tungsten bead$9
Thread & wire
- Olive 6/0 thread$2.95
- Chartreuse wire$3.25
Materials
- Other material: Tan goose biots$9
- Olive hare's ear dubbing$9
- Mottled turkey tail coated in UV resin$13.95
- Pheasant tail fibers$4.95
Finishing
- Head cement$5.95
Guide
- Printed recipe and tying stepsIncluded
Size 8 · Materials only · 48 flies
$138.80
$2.89 a fly
Bought separately $146.10 · you save $7.30
Includes Tiemco 5263 · Gold tungsten bead · and 8 more
Every item in this kit · 10 items
Hooks & beads
- Tiemco 5263$13
- Gold tungsten bead$18
Thread & wire
- Olive 6/0 thread$5.90
- Chartreuse wire$6.50
Materials
- Other material: Tan goose biots$31.50
- Olive hare's ear dubbing$31.50
- Mottled turkey tail coated in UV resin$13.95
- Pheasant tail fibers$19.80
Finishing
- Head cement$5.95
Guide
- Printed recipe and tying stepsIncluded
Size 8 · Materials only · 144 flies
$321.29
$2.23 a fly
Bought separately $365.10 · you save $43.81
Includes Tiemco 5263 · Gold tungsten bead · and 8 more
Every item in this kit · 10 items
Hooks & beads
- Tiemco 5263$35
- Gold tungsten bead$50
Thread & wire
- Olive 6/0 thread$17.70
- Chartreuse wire$13
Materials
- Other material: Tan goose biots$90
- Olive hare's ear dubbing$90
- Mottled turkey tail coated in UV resin$13.95
- Pheasant tail fibers$49.50
Finishing
- Head cement$5.95
Guide
- Printed recipe and tying stepsIncluded
With vise & tools
Size 8 · With vise & tools · 12 flies
$214.55
$17.88 a fly
Includes Tiemco 5263 · Gold tungsten bead · and 17 more
Every item in this kit · 19 items
Hooks & beads
- Tiemco 5263$6.50
- Gold tungsten bead$9
Thread & wire
- Olive 6/0 thread$2.95
- Chartreuse wire$3.25
Materials
- Other material: Tan goose biots$9
- Olive hare's ear dubbing$9
- Mottled turkey tail coated in UV resin$13.95
- Pheasant tail fibers$4.95
Finishing
- Head cement$5.95
Tools
- Rotary pedestal vise$79
- Ceramic bobbin$14
- Fine-point scissors$16
- Whip finisher$9
- Hackle pliers$7
- Bodkin$5
- Bobbin threader$4
- Dubbing wax$4
- Canvas tool roll$12
Guide
- Printed recipe and tying stepsIncluded
Size 8 · With vise & tools · 48 flies
$281.30
$5.86 a fly
Bought separately $296.10 · you save $14.80
Includes Tiemco 5263 · Gold tungsten bead · and 17 more
Every item in this kit · 19 items
Hooks & beads
- Tiemco 5263$13
- Gold tungsten bead$18
Thread & wire
- Olive 6/0 thread$5.90
- Chartreuse wire$6.50
Materials
- Other material: Tan goose biots$31.50
- Olive hare's ear dubbing$31.50
- Mottled turkey tail coated in UV resin$13.95
- Pheasant tail fibers$19.80
Finishing
- Head cement$5.95
Tools
- Rotary pedestal vise$79
- Ceramic bobbin$14
- Fine-point scissors$16
- Whip finisher$9
- Hackle pliers$7
- Bodkin$5
- Bobbin threader$4
- Dubbing wax$4
- Canvas tool roll$12
Guide
- Printed recipe and tying stepsIncluded
Size 8 · With vise & tools · 144 flies
$453.29
$3.15 a fly
Bought separately $515.10 · you save $61.81
Includes Tiemco 5263 · Gold tungsten bead · and 17 more
Every item in this kit · 19 items
Hooks & beads
- Tiemco 5263$35
- Gold tungsten bead$50
Thread & wire
- Olive 6/0 thread$17.70
- Chartreuse wire$13
Materials
- Other material: Tan goose biots$90
- Olive hare's ear dubbing$90
- Mottled turkey tail coated in UV resin$13.95
- Pheasant tail fibers$49.50
Finishing
- Head cement$5.95
Tools
- Rotary pedestal vise$79
- Ceramic bobbin$14
- Fine-point scissors$16
- Whip finisher$9
- Hackle pliers$7
- Bodkin$5
- Bobbin threader$4
- Dubbing wax$4
- Canvas tool roll$12
Guide
- Printed recipe and tying stepsIncluded
The creator
Remixes
Remixed from
- Boulder Run Olive Stonefly Nymphyou are here
1 remix of this
Where this came from
“Turn this hat into a fly.”
fly pattern · made
1 remix
25 — from 1 remix, at the Derby's published weights, since . Views are not counted.
- stonefly
- nymph
- olive
- chartreuse
- gold bead
- resin wing case
- turkey
- pheasant tail
- trout
- pocket water
- riffle
- size 8