Beadhead Stonefly Nymph
Been tying some stonefly nymphs for a coming trip abroad and thought I’d share this pattern that is inspired by Kaufmann’s Stone nymph. Materials and some techniques are different by I think the basic appearance is pretty close. I use tungsten beads and some wire to make these really heavy and sink fast. Couple notes on tying this fly.
One thing that bothers me most about people using biots is that they take them from the same strip for both sides. If possible try to look for lefts and rights so that you get a symmetrical fly. Probably doesn’t have any effect on the fly other than it looks better.
The folded feather wingcases are simple to tie once you’ve done a few. When tying in try to make sure that the fibers don’t turn around but stay the same way. When you have finished the next portion of the body, place a needle on top of the fly and fold the strip over. Tie it in with two turns so that the fibers don’t twist over but don’t worry about the length and shape. With the needle pull the fibers backwards in a straight line to form the shape of the wingcase, you can even pull individual fibers to different lengths if you want to make something more fancy. Secure the wingcase with few more wraps and take the needle away. Push the wingcase towards the body to make the bend of the wingcase sharper and more permanent.
If you want to tie faster and lower wingcases try Kaufmann’s original technique without the folding.
Weigth: Tungsten bead and some lead wire on the front half of the hook.
Tail: Biots
Rib: Vinyl Rib close but open turns.
Body: SLF dubbing
Wingcase: Brown mottled Turkey
Legs: Grouse or similar barred feather fibers.
