Streambed Orange Leg Stonefly Nymph
by @dekasso
Rubber Leg Stonefly Nymph · Nymph
Orange legs over sunlit river stones
A weighted stonefly nymph on a size 8 hook, dark olive with knotted orange rubber legs, for trout in fast rocky water.
A stonefly nymph with a segmented dark olive body, a pearl wing case and six knotted orange legs. It is built from olive hare's ear dubbing under a clear vinyl rib, with barred mallard fibres for tails and antennae.
- Pattern
- Rubber Leg Stonefly Nymph
- Imitates
- Large stonefly nymphs
- When
- on the menu year-round, typically busiest before late-spring emergence
- Hook
- size 8
- Tippet
- 3Xrule of three
- Knotted orange rubber legs mark the joints
- Pearl Thin Skin wing case
- Clear vinyl rib segments the abdomen
- Barred mallard tails and antennae
- Weighted size 8 nymph hook
On the water
Six orange legs, each with a knot for a joint, splay out from a dark olive body. A pearl wing case catches the light over a shaggy thorax. Barred fibres fan out front and back as tails and antennae.
Fish it deep in riffles and pocket water where real stoneflies cling to the stones. Let it tumble near the bottom on a dead drift. A slow lift at the end of the swing can bring the legs alive.
Knotted rubber legs are the detail worth slowing down for. Tie each overhand knot before you mount the leg, and slide it to the same spot every time so the joints line up on both sides.
Rigging
- Tippet
- 3Xhook size divided by three
- Leader
- Nine feet, with fluorocarbon tippet to get it down
- Fish on 3X or 4X fluorocarbon tippet; add split shot above the knot in heavy current.
- Set the indicator at about one and a half times the water depth so the fly ticks the stones.
- Dead drift first, then let it swing up at the tail of the run.
Where and when
- Hatch
- Large stonefly nymphson the menu year-round, typically busiest before late-spring emergence
- Target
- Trout
- Water type
- Fast riffles, pocket water and boulder runs
- Also fishes
- Also works as the heavy point fly in a two-nymph rig, and on high spring flows when trout hug the bottom of deep runs.
Make it yourself
Intermediate9 materials · 12 steps
- Pattern
- Rubber Leg Stonefly Nymph
- Style
- Nymph
- Hook
- Tiemco 5263size 8
- Thread
- Black 6/0
Materials in the order they go on the hook
- EyesBlack mono eyes
- UnderbodyLead-free wire
- TailBarred mallard flank fibres
- RibClear vinyl rib
- BodyDark olive hare's ear dubbing
- Wing CasePearl Thin Skin
- LegsOrange round rubber, knotted
- ThoraxDark olive hare's ear dubbing
- AntennaeBarred mallard flank fibres
Details
- Imitates
- Stonefly Nymph
- Colors
- Dark olive, Black, Orange, Pearl, Barred grey
How to tie it
The steps, from first wrap to whip finish (12)
- Mount the hook and lay a black thread base from eye to bend.
- Tie the mono eyes on top of the shank just behind the eye with figure-of-eight wraps.
- Wrap lead-free wire over the middle of the shank and lock it down with thread.
- Tie in two barred mallard fibre tails at the bend, split into a V, each about half a shank long.
- Tie in the clear vinyl rib at the bend.
- Dub a tapered dark olive abdomen over the rear 60 percent of the shank.
- Wind the vinyl rib forward in even, slightly stretched turns to make segments, and tie off.
- Tie in a strip of pearl Thin Skin at the front of the abdomen, shiny side down.
- Tie three pre-knotted orange rubber legs across each side of the thorax area, knots facing outward.
- Dub the thorax with dark olive hare's ear, working figure-of-eight wraps between the legs.
- Pull the Thin Skin forward over the thorax and tie it off behind the eyes.
- Tie in two barred mallard antennae at the eye, flaring forward, then whip finish and pick out the thorax.
Proportions (5)
- Tails: about half the shank length, split wide.
- Abdomen: rear 60 percent of the shank, tapering toward the bend.
- Thorax and wing case: front 40 percent, slightly wider than the abdomen.
- Legs: about one shank length each, knot set near the middle.
- Antennae: roughly half the shank length past the eye.
Tips (4)
- Stretch the vinyl rib a little as you wind it so each segment sits tight and even.
- Pre-knot all six legs before you start so the joints match.
- Pick out the thorax dubbing with a dubbing brush for a buggy, spiky outline.
- Flatten the weighted shank slightly with pliers for a wider, more stonefly-like profile.
Common mistakes (4)
- Crowding the eye: leave room for the wing case tie-off, antennae and whip finish.
- Uneven leg knots: knot every leg at the same mark before mounting.
- Over-dubbing the abdomen: keep it thin so the vinyl rib can show the segments.
- Loose tails that fold back: post them with a small thread bump at the bend.
Every kit size
Materials only
Size 8 · Materials only · 12 flies
$53.85
$4.49 a fly
Includes Tiemco 5263 · Black mono eyes · and 9 more
Every item in this kit · 11 items
Hooks & beads
- Tiemco 5263$6.50
- Black mono eyes$5.95
Thread & wire
- Black 6/0 thread$2.95
- Lead-free wire$3.25
- Clear vinyl rib$3.25
Materials
- Other material: Barred mallard flank fibres$9
- Dark olive hare's ear dubbing$9
- Other material: Pearl Thin Skin$4.50
- Orange round rubber, knotted$3.50
Finishing
- Head cement$5.95
Guide
- Printed recipe and tying stepsIncluded
Size 8 · Materials only · 48 flies
$137.51
$2.86 a fly
Bought separately $144.75 · you save $7.24
Includes Tiemco 5263 · Black mono eyes · and 9 more
Every item in this kit · 11 items
Hooks & beads
- Tiemco 5263$13
- Black mono eyes$11.90
Thread & wire
- Black 6/0 thread$5.90
- Lead-free wire$6.50
- Clear vinyl rib$6.50
Materials
- Other material: Barred mallard flank fibres$31.50
- Dark olive hare's ear dubbing$31.50
- Other material: Pearl Thin Skin$18
- Orange round rubber, knotted$14
Finishing
- Head cement$5.95
Guide
- Printed recipe and tying stepsIncluded
Size 8 · Materials only · 144 flies
$334.71
$2.32 a fly
Bought separately $380.35 · you save $45.64
Includes Tiemco 5263 · Black mono eyes · and 9 more
Every item in this kit · 11 items
Hooks & beads
- Tiemco 5263$35
- Black mono eyes$35.70
Thread & wire
- Black 6/0 thread$17.70
- Lead-free wire$13
- Clear vinyl rib$13
Materials
- Other material: Barred mallard flank fibres$90
- Dark olive hare's ear dubbing$90
- Other material: Pearl Thin Skin$45
- Orange round rubber, knotted$35
Finishing
- Head cement$5.95
Guide
- Printed recipe and tying stepsIncluded
With vise & tools
Size 8 · With vise & tools · 12 flies
$203.85
$16.99 a fly
Includes Tiemco 5263 · Black mono eyes · and 18 more
Every item in this kit · 20 items
Hooks & beads
- Tiemco 5263$6.50
- Black mono eyes$5.95
Thread & wire
- Black 6/0 thread$2.95
- Lead-free wire$3.25
- Clear vinyl rib$3.25
Materials
- Other material: Barred mallard flank fibres$9
- Dark olive hare's ear dubbing$9
- Other material: Pearl Thin Skin$4.50
- Orange round rubber, knotted$3.50
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
Size 8 · With vise & tools · 48 flies
$280.01
$5.83 a fly
Bought separately $294.75 · you save $14.74
Includes Tiemco 5263 · Black mono eyes · and 18 more
Every item in this kit · 20 items
Hooks & beads
- Tiemco 5263$13
- Black mono eyes$11.90
Thread & wire
- Black 6/0 thread$5.90
- Lead-free wire$6.50
- Clear vinyl rib$6.50
Materials
- Other material: Barred mallard flank fibres$31.50
- Dark olive hare's ear dubbing$31.50
- Other material: Pearl Thin Skin$18
- Orange round rubber, knotted$14
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
$466.71
$3.24 a fly
Bought separately $530.35 · you save $63.64
Includes Tiemco 5263 · Black mono eyes · and 18 more
Every item in this kit · 20 items
Hooks & beads
- Tiemco 5263$35
- Black mono eyes$35.70
Thread & wire
- Black 6/0 thread$17.70
- Lead-free wire$13
- Clear vinyl rib$13
Materials
- Other material: Barred mallard flank fibres$90
- Dark olive hare's ear dubbing$90
- Other material: Pearl Thin Skin$45
- Orange round rubber, knotted$35
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
2 steps back
- Speckled Olive Stonefly Nymph@dekasso · the original
- Streambed Orange Leg Stonefly Nymphyou are here
No remixes yet — make your own version.
Where this came from
fly pattern · made
0 — nothing entered the score yet, at the Derby's published weights, since . Views are not counted.
- stonefly
- nymph
- rubber legs
- orange
- dark olive
- thin skin
- trout
- pocket water
- riffles
- size 8
- weighted