Many people fish all of their lives, buying and using various lures, flies, worms, eggs or other bait, without ever realizing that a little time spent in studying the habits of the fish and the insects that are active in the water would pay large dividends in fishing success. If they would spend a little time this way, every now and then, they would return home many times, happy with their catch instead of nothing. The checking of insect life on the stream, or in the lake, is not foolishness in any sense of the word. It may very well provide needed information as to what will be effective to produce fish on that particular day in the water which is being fished.

It is fairly common knowledge that the cycle of insect life progresses from the laying of the egg to the larva, the pupa, the nymph, and, eventually, to the adult dry fly stage, with the cycle of laying the egg, and so forth, again repeating itself. The insect egg may not be laid on a leaf directly over a stream or lake. It may be out in the woods or in some other location. As we are interested in the tying of flies and fishing we shall talk about the eggs that are laid on leaves just above a pool or on the edge of a lake. The egg is laid during the summer. In the late summer the leaf will change from green to yellow and later to brown. As the sap leaves the tree the leaf, in the fall breeze, will be shaken from the limb, dropping to the top of the water. Eventually it becomes water soaked and drops to the bottom of the pool or lake. In the spring, when the water starts to change from cold to warm, the egg will change its form and become active as a larva. Water temperatures increasing, the larva gradually works from the bottom of the lake or pool toward the upper levels and the surface. It moves into the upper water levels at perhaps the rate of only a few inches a week, or in some instances, at the rate of a foot or a foot and a half a week, depending entirely on how warm the water is and how quickly its temperature increases. Gradually the larva moves up toward the surface and changes from the larval to the nymphal stage. In this stage the insect may be down as much as three or four feet under the surface or it may be just an inch or two under the surface of the water. Where the larvae and the nymphs are active is the level where the fish are feeding. It is the insect life in these stages that we are imitating in the fly, or nymph fly, to be tied in this lesson.

The scientists of the various colleges and universities have, quite generally, catalogued the insects which are common to the locality. From them you may obtain assistance in checking for identification the specimens of insects which you collect and save. Although the information available is not uniform for each district, you will be amazed at the many thousands of insects that have been so catalogued and, if you wish to pursue the study, may learn a great deal about the insect life which is found in the localities where you do your fishing.

In this lesson we are going to show you how to tie a particular type of nymph pattern known as the Nylon Nymph. This pattern imitates a great many insects in the nymphal stage. There are a number of alternate patterns of this fly and some of the alternates are listed at the end of this lesson. After you have learned to tie this fly you may tie others to imitate the local insects that have been catalogued or of which you have collected specimens. In tying nymph flies never use a hook larger than size 10. The hook sizes range from No. 10 through No. 18. The size to be used is governed by the size of the nymphs that are active in the water in which you are fishing. In tying the Nylon Nymph you should use hooks in sizes from No. 12 through No. 16. The larger and smaller sizes of hooks are used in tying nymph patterns other than the Nylon Nymph. Upon tying the Nylon Nymph you will find that it has a gelatin-like appearance which resembles many insects in the nymphal stage. As many types of nymphs to be found in the water have this gelatin-like appearance, the addition of this pattern to your fly box should be most profitable; your fishing should be better and your pleasures increased.

Place a No. 12 hook in the jaws of your vise and wrap the tying silk to the bend of the hook. Cut off 8 or 10 inches of rayon yellow body floss from the spool, and cut off about 10 or 12 inches of plastic leader material. Plastic leader was first manufactured for the use of fishermen during the Second World War when it was impossible to obtain silk gut or nylon for leaders. It was not satisfactory as leader material because its diameter was far too great for its strength. As soon as the war was over nylon and gut leaders again became available and the plastic material was no longer used for leaders. But fly tyers soon found a use for this plastic material. In the Pacific Northwest the material has been very successfully used in tying flies to imitate nymphs. Although nylon leader material can be used on nymph fly patterns it is not as good, because it gives the fly a milky look, whereas the plastic material gives the fly a translucent, larval appearance. The degree of success with flies tied of this material has been so great among the fishing fraternity that at certain times of the year about ninety per cent of the flies carried by some fishermen are in nymph patterns of the nylon type. Many fishermen living west of the Cascade Mountains use dry flies to the exclusion of all other types; and most of the visitors and vacationers in the Puget Sound area will use a dry fly when they fish in the streams or lakes. But the successful fishermen, who have lived in the area for many years, know that more than ninety per cent of the fly fishing in the streams and lakes of the region requires the use of wet or subsurface flies.

Tie both the plastic leader material and the yellow floss at the bend of the hook. Tie both pieces of material on at the same time.

Then, spiral the tying silk to a point 1/8th to 3/l6ths of an inch from the eye of the hook and half-hitch it there. The materials will be tied off at this spot.

Take hold of the floss and spiral it, very evenly, along the shank of the hook. The body does not have to be a heavy one. A light or thin body is much preferred because the plastic leader will be over the top of it, making the body a full one when finished. A thin layer of floss overlaid with the plastic material gives a body which properly represents the size of a nymph. When you have wrapped the floss up to the tying silk, cross over the floss with the tying silk, make 2 or 3 turns and a half-hitch. Cut off the remainder of the floss.

Take the plastic leader me-terial in the fingers of your right hand and wrap it on. Begin the wraps a little below the start of the bend of the hook, so that the first wrap or two is on the bend of the hook. Continue wrapping the plastic material, with each turn laid closely against the one which preceded it. Wrap the material around the shank of the hook, covering the floss underbody, to the spot where the tying silk is now tied; cross over the plastic material with the tying silk and make 3 or 4 turns, taking good tight wraps, and finish with a half-hitch. Now you can see that the plastic leader material gives a gelatin-like appearance to the body of the fly.

The next step is to place the wing on this fly. The wing consists of 4 or 5 fibres of deer body hair. No more than 4 or 5 fibres is needed, because the wing is supposed to be very sparse. Check the length of the wing fibres, holding them on top of the body of the fly between the thumb and forefinger of your right hand. The wing fibres should be not more than 2/3rds the length of the shank of the hook. After measuring for length hold the wing fibres, between the thumb and forefinger of your left hand, over the top of the hook and tie them to the hook. Go up and down between the hook and the balls of your fingers with the tying silk; make 2 or 3 turns and a half-hitch. Cut off all of the surplus deer hair fibres extending over the eye of the hook. Taper the head just a little and complete with a whip finish. Lacquer the head, and the fly is completed.

The wing fibres do not have to be placed directly on the top of the hook on this fly. You may tie some of them with the wing fibres on top and others with the fibres spread around to the sides of the hook. In tying the latter type of wing, place the wing fibres in the proper position on top of the hook and, then, press down and twist just a little. The hair fibres can, thus, be rolled partially around the body of the fly and when tied on the effect is similar to a small, sparse hackle. The patterns of this type are also effective.

I would suggest that you tie quite a few of the various color combinations shown in the pattern at the end of this lesson and carry them with you in your fly box. I have a small spring clip fly box in which I keep all of the nymphs I use. This type of box is ideal for the nymphs and small wet flies that you have. The fly box will go into a very small pocket of your fishing jacket or pants. It is easy to use; when opened you can make your selection very quickly. Tie a few of the various patterns. Give them a good try. You will find that the fish really enjoy them. Study your stream or lake and notice the insect life that is active there. You will discover that your fishing fun will increase a hundred fold.

In fishing with nymphs you will have the best results if you use a very light rod, not over 4 ounces. I prefer a rod from 3 to 3½ ounces, with very good action. Use an HDH double taper line or a very good HDG torpedo line, and a 9 foot to 12 foot leader which tapers down to 6X, about 3/4ths of a pound test, at the tippet. With this outfit your casting can be fast and there will be little resistance in the water as you retrieve. Look for and watch the cruising fish that are feeding on subsurface or surface nymphs. Check the speed and direction of the fish. Cast in front of him four to six feet and just before he gets to your nymph retrieve in very erratic jerks. Sometimes the best results are obtained when each jerk moves the nymph only two or three inches, but with very fast action. After all, a cruising fish is interested in food. Make your nymph look just as insect-like as possible, so that it will be most appealing to the cruising fish.

The name of this fly is, of course, misleading because its distinguishing material is not nylon but plastic. The name, however, reflects the fact that nylon was used in making this fly previous to the universal feudin' in the early '40's.

NYLON NYMPH (Wet)

Hook:               No. 12 - No. 16
Underbody:      Either peacock, silver tinsel, multi-color rod winding
                        thread, red floss, yellow floss, green floss, brown floss,
                        black floss, white floss, red wool, yellow wool, green wool,
                        brown wool, black wool or white wool.
Overbody:        Plastic leader material
Wing:               Optional. Chinese ringneck rump feather, teal
                        breast feather, mallard breast feather, deer body hair, 4 or 5
                        fibres; tied sparse. Use only 4 or 5 fibres of feathers listed.

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