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Ember Golden Stonefly Nymph

by @dekasso

Ember Golden Stonefly Nymph — a fly pattern by Dekasso
More by @dekasso

Golden Stone Nymph · Nymph

Orange embers tumbling past mossy boulders

A buggy size 8 golden stone nymph in layered orange, with biot tail and antennae, for trout in fast freestone water.

A golden stonefly nymph in warm shades of orange, with a split tail, spiky legs and long antennae. Orange rabbit dubbing, a palmered orange saddle hackle and a glossy mottled wing case build the body.

Pattern
Golden Stone Nymph
Imitates
Golden stonefly nymph migration toward the banks
When
typically late spring into early summer
Hook
size 8
Tippet
3Xrule of three
  • Size 8 nymph hook, 2X long
  • Split orange biot tail and antennae
  • Palmered hackle for a buggy body
  • Glossy mottled orange wing case
  • Banded pheasant tail legs

On the water

A nymph fly drifting above a cobble streambed

Everything here glows orange. Forked biots at the tail, a shaggy dubbed body bristling with hackle, a shiny mottled wing case and splayed legs with darker bands. Two thin antennae reach forward past the eye.

Drop it into the seams behind boulders and along riffle edges, where stoneflies crawl among the rocks. Fish it dead drift near the bottom, then let it swing up at the tail of the drift.

Palmered saddle hackle gives the body its fuzz. Wrap it through the dubbing in open turns and pick the fibers out so the outline stays soft and moving.

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
  • Tie on 3X or 4X fluorocarbon tippet and add split shot to reach the bottom in fast water.
  • Run it under an indicator set about one and a half times the water depth.
  • Let it swing and rise at the end of each drift before you recast.

Where and when

Hatch
Golden stonefly nymph migration toward the bankstypically late spring into early summer
Target
Trout
Water type
Freestone riffles, pocket water and boulder runs
Also fishes
Also fishes as the point fly under an indicator in big tailwaters, and as a dropper below a large foam dry in summer.

Make it yourself

Intermediate8 materials · 11 steps

Pattern
Golden Stone Nymph
Style
Nymph
Hook
Tiemco 5262size 8
Thread
Orange 6/0
Fly-tying materials laid out on a dark bench

Materials in the order they go on the hook

  1. TailOrange goose biots
  2. BodyOrange rabbit dubbing
  3. HackleOrange saddle hackle
  4. Wing caseMottled orange thin skin
  5. ThoraxOrange rabbit dubbing
  6. LegsOrange-dyed pheasant tail fibers
  7. AntennaeOrange goose biots
  8. HeadOrange 6/0 thread

Details

Imitates
Golden stonefly nymph
Colors
Orange, Burnt orange, Amber, Brown mottle
A fly-tying vise holding a bare hook on a wooden bench

How to tie it

The steps, from first wrap to whip finish (11)
  1. Mount the hook and lay an orange thread base from eye to the start of the bend.
  2. Tie in two orange goose biots at the bend, splayed in a V, about half a shank long.
  3. Tie in the orange saddle hackle by its tip at the bend.
  4. Dub a tapered orange rabbit abdomen over the rear two thirds of the shank.
  5. Palmer the hackle forward through the abdomen in open turns and tie it off.
  6. Tie in a strip of mottled orange thin skin, shiny side down, pointing back over the abdomen.
  7. Dub a fuller thorax with orange rabbit dubbing over the front third.
  8. Tie in orange-dyed pheasant tail fibers along each side for legs, angled back and down.
  9. Fold the thin skin forward over the thorax and tie it down behind the eye.
  10. Tie in two orange biots at the head as antennae, about one shank long.
  11. Build a small neat thread head and whip finish.
Proportions (4)
  • Tail biots run about half the hook shank, split in a clear V.
  • Abdomen covers the rear two thirds; thorax the front third, slightly wider.
  • Legs reach just past the hook point.
  • Antennae run about one full shank length past the eye.
Tips (3)
  • Brush the dubbed abdomen with a dubbing brush so the hackle and fur blend.
  • Use a darker orange for the wing case than the body to show the mottle.
  • Flatten the body slightly with pliers before wrapping hackle for a natural stonefly shape.
Common mistakes (3)
  • Biots that stick together: pinch a small dubbing ball between them before tying in.
  • Hackle wrapped too tight hides the dubbing; keep turns open and even.
  • Crowding the eye leaves no room for antennae and head; stop the thorax a few wraps short.
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

$54.80

$4.57 a fly

Includes Tiemco 5262 · and 8 more

Every item in this kit · 9 items

Hooks & beads

  • Tiemco 5262$6.501 × 25 · size 8

Thread & wire

  • Orange 6/0 thread$2.951 spool

Materials

  • Other material: Orange goose biots$92 packs · From the recipe row "Tail"
  • Orange rabbit dubbing$92 dispensers
  • Orange saddle hackle$11.951 saddle pack
  • Other material: Mottled orange thin skin$4.501 pack · From the recipe row "Wing case"
  • Orange-dyed pheasant tail fibers$4.951 pack

Finishing

  • Head cement$5.951 bottle

Guide

  • Printed recipe and tying stepsIncluded1

Size 8 · Materials only · 48 flies

$170.38

$3.55 a fly

Bought separately $179.35 · you save $8.97

Includes Tiemco 5262 · and 8 more

Every item in this kit · 9 items

Hooks & beads

  • Tiemco 5262$132 × 25 · size 8

Thread & wire

  • Orange 6/0 thread$11.804 spools

Materials

  • Other material: Orange goose biots$31.507 packs · From the recipe row "Tail"
  • Orange rabbit dubbing$31.507 dispensers
  • Orange saddle hackle$47.804 saddle packs
  • Other material: Mottled orange thin skin$184 packs · From the recipe row "Wing case"
  • Orange-dyed pheasant tail fibers$19.804 packs

Finishing

  • Head cement$5.951 bottle

Guide

  • Printed recipe and tying stepsIncluded1

Size 8 · Materials only · 144 flies

$434.94

$3.02 a fly

Bought separately $494.25 · you save $59.31

Includes Tiemco 5262 · and 8 more

Every item in this kit · 9 items

Hooks & beads

  • Tiemco 5262$351 × 100 + 2 × 25 · size 8

Thread & wire

  • Orange 6/0 thread$35.4012 spools

Materials

  • Other material: Orange goose biots$9020 packs · From the recipe row "Tail"
  • Orange rabbit dubbing$9020 dispensers
  • Orange saddle hackle$143.4012 saddle packs
  • Other material: Mottled orange thin skin$4510 packs · From the recipe row "Wing case"
  • Orange-dyed pheasant tail fibers$49.5010 packs

Finishing

  • Head cement$5.951 bottle

Guide

  • Printed recipe and tying stepsIncluded1

With vise & tools

Size 8 · With vise & tools · 12 flies

$204.80

$17.07 a fly

Includes Tiemco 5262 · and 17 more

Every item in this kit · 18 items

Hooks & beads

  • Tiemco 5262$6.501 × 25 · size 8

Thread & wire

  • Orange 6/0 thread$2.951 spool

Materials

  • Other material: Orange goose biots$92 packs · From the recipe row "Tail"
  • Orange rabbit dubbing$92 dispensers
  • Orange saddle hackle$11.951 saddle pack
  • Other material: Mottled orange thin skin$4.501 pack · From the recipe row "Wing case"
  • Orange-dyed pheasant tail fibers$4.951 pack

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

$312.88

$6.52 a fly

Bought separately $329.35 · you save $16.47

Includes Tiemco 5262 · and 17 more

Every item in this kit · 18 items

Hooks & beads

  • Tiemco 5262$132 × 25 · size 8

Thread & wire

  • Orange 6/0 thread$11.804 spools

Materials

  • Other material: Orange goose biots$31.507 packs · From the recipe row "Tail"
  • Orange rabbit dubbing$31.507 dispensers
  • Orange saddle hackle$47.804 saddle packs
  • Other material: Mottled orange thin skin$184 packs · From the recipe row "Wing case"
  • Orange-dyed pheasant tail fibers$19.804 packs

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

$566.94

$3.94 a fly

Bought separately $644.25 · you save $77.31

Includes Tiemco 5262 · and 17 more

Every item in this kit · 18 items

Hooks & beads

  • Tiemco 5262$351 × 100 + 2 × 25 · size 8

Thread & wire

  • Orange 6/0 thread$35.4012 spools

Materials

  • Other material: Orange goose biots$9020 packs · From the recipe row "Tail"
  • Orange rabbit dubbing$9020 dispensers
  • Orange saddle hackle$143.4012 saddle packs
  • Other material: Mottled orange thin skin$4510 packs · From the recipe row "Wing case"
  • Orange-dyed pheasant tail fibers$49.5010 packs

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.

  • Tidewater Sundown Pale Ale — a river beer by Dekasso
  • Prairie Wildflower Portrait Trucker Hat — a trucker hat by Dekasso
  • Sunlit Cobble Red Stonefly Nymph — a fly pattern by Dekasso

See everything by @dekasso

How it was made

1 iteration led here; the saved one is marked

  1. Iteration 1 of 11 Saved

Remixes

2 steps back

  1. Sunlit Stonefly Nymph Trucker Hat@dekasso · the original
  2. Boulder Run Olive Stonefly Nymph — a fly pattern by DekassoBoulder Run Olive Stonefly Nymph@dekasso
  3. Ember Golden Stonefly Nymphyou are here

No remixes yet — make your own version.

Where this came from

“make it shades of orange”

fly pattern · made

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  • stonefly nymph
  • golden stone
  • orange
  • nymph
  • trout
  • freestone
  • biot tail
  • wing case
  • size 8