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Sundown Orange Leg Stonefly Nymph

by @dekasso

Sundown Orange Leg Stonefly Nymph — a fly pattern by Dekasso
More by @dekasso

Rubber Leg Stonefly Nymph · Nymph

Last light on the river, legs out

A size 8 rubber leg stonefly nymph in olive-brown and orange, weighted with a tungsten bead for trout in fast, rocky water.

A stonefly nymph with bright orange legs sits in the vise above a sunset river. Its spiky olive-brown body carries a gold wire rib, a mottled brown wing case and a brown bead head.

Pattern
Rubber Leg Stonefly Nymph
Imitates
Stonefly nymphs crawling toward the banks before emergence, typically late spring into early summer
Hook
size 8
Tippet
3Xrule of three
  • Tungsten bead gets it down fast
  • Orange rubber legs kick in current
  • Gold wire rib segments the body
  • Mottled brown Thin Skin wing case
  • Split brown biot tails and antennae

On the water

A nymph fly drifting above a cobble streambed

Orange rubber legs splay out from a shaggy olive-brown body. Gold wire cuts neat bands down the abdomen, and a mottled brown wing case lies flat over the thorax. Brown biots flick out at both ends, catching the low gold light off the river.

Fish it deep in riffles and pocket water, where stoneflies cling to the stones. Dead-drift it along the bottom under an indicator, and let it swing up at the tail of the run. The legs keep moving even when the drift goes still.

Spiky dubbing makes this bug. Pick it out with a dubbing brush after ribbing so the guard hairs stand up like gills and legs, but keep the wing case area trimmed flat so the Thin Skin sits clean.

A coiled leader, tippet spools and an open fly box on slate

Rigging

Tippet
3Xhook size divided by three
Leader
Nine feet, with fluorocarbon tippet to get it down
  • Rig on 3X or 4X fluorocarbon and 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 bottom.
  • Let the drift finish with a slow swing; stoneflies often get hit as they rise.

Where and when

Hatch
Stonefly nymphs crawling toward the banks before emergence, typically late spring into early summer
Target
Brown trout, Rainbow trout
Water type
Fast riffles, pocket water and boulder-strewn runs
Also fishes
Works as the heavy point fly in a two-nymph rig on big freestone rivers, and through deep tailouts after high spring water.

Make it yourself

Intermediate8 materials · 12 steps

Pattern
Rubber Leg Stonefly Nymph
Style
Nymph
Hook
3XL curved nymph hooksize 8
Thread
Brown 6/0
Fly-tying materials laid out on a dark bench

Materials in the order they go on the hook

  1. BeadBrown tungsten bead
  2. TailBrown goose biots
  3. RibGold wire
  4. BodyOlive-brown spiky dubbing
  5. LegsOrange round rubber legs
  6. Wing caseMottled brown Thin Skin
  7. ThoraxOlive-brown spiky dubbing
  8. AntennaeBrown goose biots

Details

Imitates
Stonefly
Colors
Olive, Brown, Orange, Gold
A fly-tying vise holding a bare hook on a wooden bench

How to tie it

The steps, from first wrap to whip finish (12)
  1. Slide the tungsten bead onto the hook and seat it against the eye, then mount the hook in the vise.
  2. Start the brown thread behind the bead and lay a base back to the bend.
  3. Tie in two brown goose biots at the bend, split so they flare apart, about a third of the shank long.
  4. Tie in the gold wire at the bend and leave it hanging.
  5. Dub a tapered abdomen of olive-brown spiky dubbing over the rear two thirds of the shank.
  6. Wrap the gold wire forward in five or six even turns and tie it off.
  7. Tie in the mottled brown Thin Skin at the front of the abdomen, shiny side down, pointing back.
  8. Tie in two pairs of orange rubber legs at the thorax, one pair at each side, angled back.
  9. Dub the thorax with olive-brown spiky dubbing, working around the legs so they stay apart.
  10. Pull the Thin Skin forward over the thorax and tie it off behind the bead; trim the excess.
  11. Tie in two short brown goose biots behind the bead as antennae, angled forward and apart.
  12. Whip finish behind the bead, then brush out the body dubbing.
Proportions (5)
  • Tail biots: about one third of the shank length, split in a wide V.
  • Abdomen: the rear two thirds of the shank, tapering thicker toward the thorax.
  • Thorax: the front third, slightly wider than the abdomen.
  • Rubber legs: each leg roughly the length of the shank, trimmed evenly.
  • Antennae: about half the tail length, reaching just past the bead.
Tips (4)
  • Wet the goose biots before tying them in so they soften and stop splitting.
  • Stretch the Thin Skin gently as you pull it forward for a tight, flat wing case.
  • Use a dubbing loop for the spiky dubbing if it will not hold on a plain thread.
  • Mark the legs on both sides before trimming so they come out the same length.
Common mistakes (4)
  • Crowding the bead: leave a clear thread gap behind it for the wing case and antennae.
  • Wire rib slipping: wrap it opposite to the dubbing direction so it bites in.
  • Legs pointing straight out: fold them back and lock them with a turn of thread.
  • Over-thick abdomen: dub thin and build the taper slowly in layers.
A dozen-fly materials kit laid out on slate with its recipe card.
The kit

Every kit size

Materials only

Size 8 · Materials only · 12 flies

$53.65

$4.47 a fly

Includes 3XL curved nymph hook · Brown tungsten bead · and 8 more

Every item in this kit · 10 items

Hooks & beads

  • 3XL curved nymph hook$6.501 × 25 · size 8
  • Brown tungsten bead$91 × 25 · Tungsten

Thread & wire

  • Brown 6/0 thread$2.951 spool
  • Gold wire$3.251 spool

Materials

  • Other material: Brown goose biots$92 packs · From the recipe row "Tail"
  • Olive-brown spiky dubbing$92 dispensers
  • Orange round rubber legs$3.501 pack
  • Other material: Mottled brown Thin Skin$4.501 pack · From the recipe row "Wing case"

Finishing

  • Head cement$5.951 bottle

Guide

  • Printed recipe and tying stepsIncluded1

Size 8 · Materials only · 48 flies

$137.13

$2.86 a fly

Bought separately $144.35 · you save $7.22

Includes 3XL curved nymph hook · Brown tungsten bead · and 8 more

Every item in this kit · 10 items

Hooks & beads

  • 3XL curved nymph hook$132 × 25 · size 8
  • Brown tungsten bead$182 × 25 · Tungsten

Thread & wire

  • Brown 6/0 thread$5.902 spools
  • Gold wire$6.502 spools

Materials

  • Other material: Brown goose biots$31.507 packs · From the recipe row "Tail"
  • Olive-brown spiky dubbing$31.507 dispensers
  • Orange round rubber legs$144 packs
  • Other material: Mottled brown Thin Skin$184 packs · From the recipe row "Wing case"

Finishing

  • Head cement$5.951 bottle

Guide

  • Printed recipe and tying stepsIncluded1

Size 8 · Materials only · 144 flies

$335.85

$2.33 a fly

Bought separately $381.65 · you save $45.80

Includes 3XL curved nymph hook · Brown tungsten bead · and 8 more

Every item in this kit · 10 items

Hooks & beads

  • 3XL curved nymph hook$351 × 100 + 2 × 25 · size 8
  • Brown tungsten bead$501 × 100 + 2 × 25 · Tungsten

Thread & wire

  • Brown 6/0 thread$17.706 spools
  • Gold wire$134 spools

Materials

  • Other material: Brown goose biots$9020 packs · From the recipe row "Tail"
  • Olive-brown spiky dubbing$9020 dispensers
  • Orange round rubber legs$3510 packs
  • Other material: Mottled brown Thin Skin$4510 packs · From the recipe row "Wing case"

Finishing

  • Head cement$5.951 bottle

Guide

  • Printed recipe and tying stepsIncluded1

With vise & tools

Size 8 · With vise & tools · 12 flies

$203.65

$16.97 a fly

Includes 3XL curved nymph hook · Brown tungsten bead · and 17 more

Every item in this kit · 19 items

Hooks & beads

  • 3XL curved nymph hook$6.501 × 25 · size 8
  • Brown tungsten bead$91 × 25 · Tungsten

Thread & wire

  • Brown 6/0 thread$2.951 spool
  • Gold wire$3.251 spool

Materials

  • Other material: Brown goose biots$92 packs · From the recipe row "Tail"
  • Olive-brown spiky dubbing$92 dispensers
  • Orange round rubber legs$3.501 pack
  • Other material: Mottled brown Thin Skin$4.501 pack · From the recipe row "Wing case"

Finishing

  • Head cement$5.951 bottle

Tools

  • Rotary pedestal vise$791
  • Ceramic bobbin$141
  • Fine-point scissors$161
  • Whip finisher$91
  • Hackle pliers$71
  • Bodkin$51
  • Bobbin threader$41
  • Dubbing wax$41
  • Canvas tool roll$121

Guide

  • Printed recipe and tying stepsIncluded1

Size 8 · With vise & tools · 48 flies

$279.63

$5.83 a fly

Bought separately $294.35 · you save $14.72

Includes 3XL curved nymph hook · Brown tungsten bead · and 17 more

Every item in this kit · 19 items

Hooks & beads

  • 3XL curved nymph hook$132 × 25 · size 8
  • Brown tungsten bead$182 × 25 · Tungsten

Thread & wire

  • Brown 6/0 thread$5.902 spools
  • Gold wire$6.502 spools

Materials

  • Other material: Brown goose biots$31.507 packs · From the recipe row "Tail"
  • Olive-brown spiky dubbing$31.507 dispensers
  • Orange round rubber legs$144 packs
  • Other material: Mottled brown Thin Skin$184 packs · From the recipe row "Wing case"

Finishing

  • Head cement$5.951 bottle

Tools

  • Rotary pedestal vise$791
  • Ceramic bobbin$141
  • Fine-point scissors$161
  • Whip finisher$91
  • Hackle pliers$71
  • Bodkin$51
  • Bobbin threader$41
  • Dubbing wax$41
  • Canvas tool roll$121

Guide

  • Printed recipe and tying stepsIncluded1

Size 8 · With vise & tools · 144 flies

$467.85

$3.25 a fly

Bought separately $531.65 · you save $63.80

Includes 3XL curved nymph hook · Brown tungsten bead · and 17 more

Every item in this kit · 19 items

Hooks & beads

  • 3XL curved nymph hook$351 × 100 + 2 × 25 · size 8
  • Brown tungsten bead$501 × 100 + 2 × 25 · Tungsten

Thread & wire

  • Brown 6/0 thread$17.706 spools
  • Gold wire$134 spools

Materials

  • Other material: Brown goose biots$9020 packs · From the recipe row "Tail"
  • Olive-brown spiky dubbing$9020 dispensers
  • Orange round rubber legs$3510 packs
  • Other material: Mottled brown Thin Skin$4510 packs · From the recipe row "Wing case"

Finishing

  • Head cement$5.951 bottle

Tools

  • Rotary pedestal vise$791
  • Ceramic bobbin$141
  • Fine-point scissors$161
  • Whip finisher$91
  • Hackle pliers$71
  • Bodkin$51
  • Bobbin threader$41
  • Dubbing wax$41
  • Canvas tool roll$121

Guide

  • Printed recipe and tying stepsIncluded1

The creator

An illustrated portrait for Dekasso (an illustration, not a photograph)

Dekasso

@dekasso

Wherever the truck rolls to a stop.

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See everything by @dekasso

Remixes

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Where this came from

fly pattern · made

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  • stonefly
  • nymph
  • rubber legs
  • orange
  • olive
  • brown
  • tungsten bead
  • gold wire
  • goose biots
  • trout
  • pocket water
  • riffles