The Easy Damsel

As we move into the cooler months, there is sure to come that time when we all start moving into lake fishing as the stream seasons close up and we have no choice but to hammer the still water for a few months. This presents the need for a range of patterns that may not have been so heavily relied upon during the summer months. The first such pattern is the damsel nymph. Although I do use this in small streams and black water in certain rivers at times, it does get more of a workout in the lakes as a slowly stripped damsel in olive, black, brown or tan can prove to be deadly in lakes. I used to just use olive and black patterns, but having often found lighter brown coloured damsels in a number of lakes, I now always keep the brown and tan varieties in my box in case they are about on any given day. This recipe shows the olive variety, but it is fairly easily to change out the colours of certain materials to achieve a result that closely matched the natural in any lake.

I start with a Daiichi 2220 long shank streamer hook, having crushed the barb in the jaws of the vice and bring wraps of UTC 70 denier thread back to just above the point of the hook.

Then I tie in a length of UTC Brassie sized Ultrawire. For this particular tie, I have used the green wire, although I regularly use copper, gold and even red in place of the green.

With the wire secured in place, I then take a length of green mylar flash and fold it over four times before securing that to the hook as well, leaving the thread just before the bend in the hook.

Now I take a marabou blood quill and strip out a segment of fibers from the main quill, enough to give the tail a little body, but not too thick of a bunch. This is tied in just above the hook shank with four or five thread wraps. Once secured, you will need to advance the thread up the hook, so it rests about an eighth of an inch shy of the eye.

Taking the marabou that is sitting above the hook in your left hand, twist it between your thumb and forefingers to create a slim rope.

Wrap this marabou rope up the shank of the hook until you reach your thread and tie it off at this point. Don’t be too concerned if it is a little scrappy or fluffy, this will get taken care of soon enough.

To secure the marabout to the body, and to pull it in and give the profile the slimmer shape that reflects the body of the natural damsel, wrap the green wire up the length of the hook in the opposite rotation to that of the marabou rope. Tied off the excess wire and trim it off close to the body. Whilst you have you cutters in your hand, trim the mylar at the rear of the fly to match the length of the marabou tail.

Now, to give the fly some weight and create the head of the damsel, take two links from a bead chain and tie them in just behind the eye of the hook with a figure of eight pattern. Be sure to leave enough room in front of the eyes to tied off the wing case and whip finish at the end. You don’t want them sitting right up on top of the hook eye or you’ll end up stuck at the last stage.

With the eyes in place, take five or six pheasant tail fibers and tie them in just behind the eyes, holding them down with thread for about an eighth of an inch back from the eyes.

Then take some Hareline Dubbin olive dubbing and create a thin noodle on your thread. This will form the thorax of the fly, with a small amount taken across the eyes and once around in front of them to give the head a little extra size.

With the thread then advanced to just in front of the eyes, pull the pheasant tail fibers forward and secure them with the our four wraps on top. Pull these fibers back and add a couple of wraps in front of them, then pull them foward again.

Trim the pheasant tail fibers off as close as you can to the hook without cutting the thread. Then take several tight wraps over the trimmed fibers, pushing them back with your thumb nail at the same time so they clear the eye of the hook. Now all that is left is to whip finish and apply some head cement to bind it all together. I like to use the Hard As Hull head cement for these patterns, dragging it across the wing case for a glossy sheen and extra longevity.

Let’s face it, this fly is going to be flung back and forth for some time, so it is good to know that it will hold it’s own after hours and hours of use.