Prince Nymph
Originally called Forked-tail Nymph and originated in 1930’s by brothers Don & Dick Olson. There are many stories about the name of this fly but to my knowledge Doug Prince started using this fly and had good success with it. Buz Buszek wanted to include the pattern that Prince had tied for him to his mail-order catalog in 1940’s but didn’t remember the name of the fly so he decided to call it the Prince Nymph after Doug Prince. The catalog was spread around and the Prince Nymph became really popular and it’s better known by that name today.
This fly hardly represents any real insects but it has nice appearance and the White Goose Biot wings provide a good contrast with the rest of the fly. I use lighter Brown Mottled Hen for the hackle but the original was more Furnace color to match the tail better. I’ve seen many Prince Nymphs tied with stiff hackles but I believe the hackle should be soft and not too bulky to give the fly good movement and profile in the water. Hen capes are one of the most underestimated material these days. There are so many brilliant natural shades that it’s a shame people don’t use them more.
You can also tie it with a gold bead as many do today. I like the look better without the beadhead but it’s good choice when you need some more weight to the fly.
Hook: Standard Wet Fly Hook #10-16
Tail: Goose Biots dyed Brown
Rib: Gold Tinsel
Body: Peacock Herl
Hackle: Furnace Hen
Wing: White Goose Biots tied on top to a slight V-shape
