Marabou Damsel Nymph
I’m just back from the Great Waters Expo in Minneapolis to find a nice email from Jane Grivna asking for more details on the Marabou Damsel Nymph.
Damsel nymphs are very strong swimmers, moving through the water with a strong side to side sweeping motion of the abdomen and tails. They don’t rip along like minnows might, but they certainly show plenty of action as they head from the weeds beds of the lake to the shore, or a rock, or a log, or a reed, or an angler, and there to crawl out before the adult emerges.
While a damsel nymph held in the hand might suggest a 3XL hook as the foundation for an imitation, one seen swimming in the water offers a totally different solution. A fly dressed on a 3XL hook looks like a small stick darting along in the water as the angler retrieves the fly. So to better suggest the swimming form of the insect, I dress the imitations on a standard length, size 12 wet fly hook. The wet fly hook has a stronger wire than a dry fly hook, and I often encounter big fish during the damsel hatch, making the stronger wire a most welcome addition to the Marabou Damsel Nymph.
Hook: Size 12, wet fly hook
Thread: 6/0, olive
Tail: Pale olive marabou topped with medium brown marabou, a bit longer than the hook shank
Body dubbing: Pale olive marabou mixed with medium brown marabou.
Wing Case: Peacock herl or dark green flash product
Legs: Olive hare’s mask guard hairs spun in a loop along with the dubbing for the thorax
Weight: Lead wire wound under the thorax or a tungsten bead at the head
I fish the fly with the Strip/Tease Retrieve or with a series of very short strips (1-2 inches long). More on the Strip/Tease in an upcoming blog.
The Marabou Damsel Nymph is the best I've every used to simulate the strong swimming action of the natural.
Gary,
Thanks for the quick response!
I will give this a try!
Just want to thank you for the wealth of knowledge you shared down in Blaine. Greatly enjoyed your presentations!