THE GREY NYMPH
David Hutton©2018
In part 2 of my previous article, "The Bass Flies Of A. J. McClane” I mentioned a fly known as the, "Grey Nymph."
The article was inspired by a book from one of Americas greatest outdoors and fishing writers, A.J. McClane.
Not only did this man spend 4 decades as the fishing editor for Field and Stream Magazine, but McClane wrote a landmark work on fly fishing, "The Practical Fly Fisherman" (1953).
In it we find a chapter devoted to bass fishing, and it is there we find Mr. McClane singing the praises of the “Grey Nymph.”
And he wasn't the only one who liked it.
None other than George Herter proclaimed the Grey Nymph not just a success, but a must-have in your fly box.
This is significant, because the outspoken Herter, like McClane, was a very influential voice in the world of fishing at the time.
He also knew what he was talking about, and wasn't one to mince words or hand out praise lightly. He'd call a pattern great, or junk, if he thought it deserved it.
1953 was a while ago; these old-timers may be unknown to us, today, which is a pity. But they knew as much about catching fish as anyone. Maybe more.
Taken together, if they said a fly was a good one, you can bank on that.
A Toothsome Fly
McClane calls the Grey Nymph a, "fur bodied nymph."
As the name implies, the body is formed from dubbed underfur.
The primary reason for this fur body on a bass fly was to give the fish a soft, spongy morsel to chomp on. Bass will hold onto a soft-bodied fly longer than they will hard lures, often running off with them some distance.
Much like the familiar topwater "deer hair bugs,” these sub-surface, fur-bodied nymphs are among just a handful of flies that take advantage of this habit.
This tendency of bass to mouth-and-run with their prey is well known to modern soft-plastic anglers, and was likewise known to bait anglers back then.
But, according to McClane, this was just coming to be accepted in post-war fly fishing circles.
Bottom line, it's okay to fish them with a little slack in the line - this affords the fish time to fill his mouth and swim a bit.
A “loose line,” is normally not encouraged in fly fishing, but this is a special case.
As the name implies, the body is formed from dubbed underfur.
The primary reason for this fur body on a bass fly was to give the fish a soft, spongy morsel to chomp on. Bass will hold onto a soft-bodied fly longer than they will hard lures, often running off with them some distance.
Much like the familiar topwater "deer hair bugs,” these sub-surface, fur-bodied nymphs are among just a handful of flies that take advantage of this habit.
This tendency of bass to mouth-and-run with their prey is well known to modern soft-plastic anglers, and was likewise known to bait anglers back then.
But, according to McClane, this was just coming to be accepted in post-war fly fishing circles.
Bottom line, it's okay to fish them with a little slack in the line - this affords the fish time to fill his mouth and swim a bit.
A “loose line,” is normally not encouraged in fly fishing, but this is a special case.
Fly Notes
At the time McClane and Herter wrote glowingly of the Grey Nymph, there was no official name for such a pattern type.
Today, we would call it a "flymph," albeit one on steroids.
But, the name 'flymph' hadn't been created yet.
So they used a somewhat generic name, like 'grey nymph.'
I, myself, have always referred to this general style as a, "3-Way Fly."
I'm one of those guys who likes to apply a catchy name to things, if I don't already know one. And I'd like to say I came up with the name, "3-Way Fly," but I expect someone used it before ME... that usually turns out to be the case.
The reason I went with, "3-Way," though, is pretty simple...
A. It has three main features:
Thus the name, "3-Way Fly," was born.
I also like, 'steroidal flymph'... See what I mean about me naming stuff?
Muskrat underfur was, and remains, the proper choice for this big nugget of a fly. This bulky material is a uniform, grey color right off the hide, and it spins easily into a well-knit dubbing noodle.
A tail of grizzly soft hackle, and a collar of the same material complete this elementary design.
At the time McClane and Herter wrote glowingly of the Grey Nymph, there was no official name for such a pattern type.
Today, we would call it a "flymph," albeit one on steroids.
But, the name 'flymph' hadn't been created yet.
So they used a somewhat generic name, like 'grey nymph.'
I, myself, have always referred to this general style as a, "3-Way Fly."
I'm one of those guys who likes to apply a catchy name to things, if I don't already know one. And I'd like to say I came up with the name, "3-Way Fly," but I expect someone used it before ME... that usually turns out to be the case.
The reason I went with, "3-Way," though, is pretty simple...
A. It has three main features:
- Tail
- Body
- Hackle collar
B. I hadn’t heard of a, 'flymph," either
I also like, 'steroidal flymph'... See what I mean about me naming stuff?
Muskrat underfur was, and remains, the proper choice for this big nugget of a fly. This bulky material is a uniform, grey color right off the hide, and it spins easily into a well-knit dubbing noodle.
A tail of grizzly soft hackle, and a collar of the same material complete this elementary design.
More than anything, though, the Grey Nymph should be tied as chunky as you can manage.
Don't let anyone accuse you of tying the body sparsely.
This is not your microscopic mayfly nymph; it is intended to be a mouthful.
I go with size 6, but a few bigger one's ought to be in your fly wallet, too. Keep that in mind as you follow along.
Adaptable Pattern
At the time I published the article on McClane's bass flies, I had no Grey Nymphs on hand. But I wanted to get some off the vise, so I tied a variation for this write-up.
A nice thing about this pattern is it is simple and it adapts easily to many basic materials. For example, because I didn't have muskrat at the time, I substituted a thickly-applied, natural hares mask blend for the body.
I also used pheasant, "church window" feathers instead of grizzly soft hackle, to complement the ochre color of the dubbing.
This "buggy-brown" combination of spiky rabbit dubbing and pheasant hackle actually works out very well - it has produced nicely in my local waters.
So give it a try, in addition to the original pattern described below.
Dressing the Grey Nymph
Hook: #6, nymph or bait hook (even larger, if you like)
Tail: Grizzly hackle barbs stripped from the shaft
(Substituted - pheasant 'church window' soft hackle)
Body: natural muskrat underfur, combed from the hide
(Substituted - natural hares mask blend)
Ribbing: none
(Optional - wire or monofilament rib)
Hackle: 2-3 wraps of grizzly soft hackle
(Substituted - same pheasant hackle as tail)
As you can see, it's not a complicated job and you can knock out a bunch of them, fast.
So get started and try a few.
PS - About now, you might be doubting all this "large nymph" stuff for bass.
After all, nymphs are typically small and we're taught to believe bass really want big meals, right?
Tying them super sized isn't normal.
It just isn't done.
Its not right.
Let me dispel that idea.
Stomach studies of fish, including predators like bass, usually reveal they eat A LOT of nymphs. This is pronounced during hatch migrations, but also throughout the warm season. A few folks catch on to this fact, but its still mostly unrecognized.
I've also seen dragonfly nymphs 2" long - and bigger - at my lake.
Yes, two inches.
So, don't be afraid to tie big nymphs, especially for still-water fishing. I've caught bass, large bluegill, and some of the biggest crappie I've seen in a long time on the very nymph pattern shown here.
Think of it this way: Fish are opportunistic, and they eat that which Nature presents to them. If you see big dragonflies in the air, then you can be assured the fish have seen big dragonfly NYMPHS living in the water.
A nice thing about this pattern is it is simple and it adapts easily to many basic materials. For example, because I didn't have muskrat at the time, I substituted a thickly-applied, natural hares mask blend for the body.
I also used pheasant, "church window" feathers instead of grizzly soft hackle, to complement the ochre color of the dubbing.
This "buggy-brown" combination of spiky rabbit dubbing and pheasant hackle actually works out very well - it has produced nicely in my local waters.
So give it a try, in addition to the original pattern described below.
Dressing the Grey Nymph
Hook: #6, nymph or bait hook (even larger, if you like)
Tail: Grizzly hackle barbs stripped from the shaft
(Substituted - pheasant 'church window' soft hackle)
Body: natural muskrat underfur, combed from the hide
(Substituted - natural hares mask blend)
Ribbing: none
(Optional - wire or monofilament rib)
Hackle: 2-3 wraps of grizzly soft hackle
(Substituted - same pheasant hackle as tail)
As you can see, it's not a complicated job and you can knock out a bunch of them, fast.
So get started and try a few.
PS - About now, you might be doubting all this "large nymph" stuff for bass.
After all, nymphs are typically small and we're taught to believe bass really want big meals, right?
Tying them super sized isn't normal.
It just isn't done.
Its not right.
Let me dispel that idea.
Stomach studies of fish, including predators like bass, usually reveal they eat A LOT of nymphs. This is pronounced during hatch migrations, but also throughout the warm season. A few folks catch on to this fact, but its still mostly unrecognized.
I've also seen dragonfly nymphs 2" long - and bigger - at my lake.
Yes, two inches.
So, don't be afraid to tie big nymphs, especially for still-water fishing. I've caught bass, large bluegill, and some of the biggest crappie I've seen in a long time on the very nymph pattern shown here.
Think of it this way: Fish are opportunistic, and they eat that which Nature presents to them. If you see big dragonflies in the air, then you can be assured the fish have seen big dragonfly NYMPHS living in the water.
And they won't miss the chance to eat one!
In case you missed it, follow this link to, "The Bass Flies of A.J. McClane, part 2"
As Always, thanks for reading and Tight Lines,
In case you missed it, follow this link to, "The Bass Flies of A.J. McClane, part 2"
As Always, thanks for reading and Tight Lines,
