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The Best Anglers Never Stop Learning

The Best Anglers Never Stop Learning

Nymph

Tungsten Rainbow Dart

Insect Species Icon Quill Gordon, Blue Wing Olive, Callibaetis and 8 others
Difficulty Icon Easy - 1-3 Min
Water Category Icon Coldwater

Tying Video

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Tying Recipe
  • Hook: Jig hook standard size #14
  • Bead: Slotted tungsten bead 7/64″ silver
  • Weight: Lead free round wire .015
  • Thread: UTC 70 denier red
  • Tail: Strung rooster saddle fibers red
  • Rib: Ultra wire small silver
  • Body: Wapsi sow-scud dubbing rainbow
  • Wing case: Mirage tinsel large opal
  • Thorax: Peacock herl natural
  • Glue: Clear UV resin
  • Hook: Even though a jig hook is preferred, a standard hook will work for this fly as well. Consider a down-eye hook for this.
  • Bead: If using a jig hook, slotted beads are required. If using a standard hook, standard beads are fine. Brass and tungsten is interchangeable depending on how heavy you want the fly. Silver beads go with this pattern very nicely.
  • Weight: Feel free to not use any wire wraps.
  • Thread: Any thin diameter thread is fine. Go as thin as you are comfortable with, but try not to go above 8/0 or 70 denier. Red thread is not required, but it gives the fly a nice hotspot collar.
  • Tail: A good substitute for tailing materials is pheasant tail, though the red may not be as vibrant.
  • Rib: Any small round wire will work, silver matches the body well.
  • Body: Any rainbow scud dubbing will work. For a more slender profile, try a dubbing with shorter fibers like superfine dry fly dubbing.
  • Wing case: Wing cases are optional. For a more natural wing case, try turkey tail feathers, or pheasant tail.
  • Thorax: Dubbing is a great substitute here, and gives more color variations for the fly.
  • Glue: Any thicker head cement can replace UV glue, just be aware of the longer cure time.

Like most jig flies, adding materials can be a great way to add personal touches to your own box. Consider adding a CDC soft hackle to this fly for a great emerger attractor. You can make this fly as flashy, or as dull as you want for any water you are fishing. For a slightly less flashy pattern, consider using natural tails, like pheasant tails or Coq-de-Leon.

This is a great search fly that gets a lot of attention in the water with its bright colors and flashy qualities. The tungsten bead with the weight wraps gets this fly down into the strike zone quickly, and will catch the attention of every fish on its way down. The weight of this fly also helps with euro nymphing, as you will know when this fly hits the bottom, and you will be able to feel every little bump during your drift.

This is a great fly for starting euro nymphing due to its weight. This pattern makes a great point fly and works well with a more natural tag fly behind it, as the flashy qualities pulls the fish in, and if they don’t eat this, they often go for the natural that is drifting beside it. This fly is not just for euro nymphing though. It makes a great dropper for your dry dropper rigs in the summertime, and a fabulous attractor on an indicator setup. Try to get a good dead drift with this fly, but a little motion won’t hurt it.

Blue Wing Olive

Regional Hatch Chart Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Region: West
Blue Wing Olive
Sizes: #16 - #24
Region: Northwest
Blue Wing Olive
Sizes: #16 - #24
Region: East
Blue Wing Olive
Sizes: #16 - #24
Region: Southeast
Blue Wing Olive
Sizes: #16 - #24
Region: Midwest
Blue Wing Olive
Sizes: #16 - #24

Brown Drake

Regional Hatch Chart Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Region: West
Brown Drake
Sizes: #10 - #14
Region: Northwest
Brown Drake
Sizes: #10 - #14
Region: East
Brown Drake
Sizes: #10 - #14
Region: Midwest
Brown Drake
Sizes: #10 - #14

Callibaetis

Regional Hatch Chart Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Region: West
Callibaetis
Sizes: #12 - #18
Region: Northwest
Callibaetis
Sizes: #12 - #18
Region: East
Callibaetis
Sizes: #12 - #18
Region: Midwest
Callibaetis
Sizes: #12 - #18

Green Drake

Regional Hatch Chart Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Region: West, Northwest, Midwest
Green Drake
Sizes: #8 - #14
Region: East
Green Drake
Sizes: #8 - #14

Hendrickson

Regional Hatch Chart Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Region: East, Midwest
Hendrickson
Sizes: #10 - #16

Isonychia

Regional Hatch Chart Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Region: East
Isonychia
Sizes: #12 - #18
Region: Southeast
Isonychia
Sizes: #12 - #18
Region: Midwest
Isonychia
Sizes: #12 - #18

Light Cahill

Regional Hatch Chart Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Region: East
Light Cahill
Sizes: #12 - #20
Region: Midwest
Light Cahill
Sizes: #12 - #20
Region: Northwest
Light Cahill
Sizes: #12 - #20

Mahogany Dun

Regional Hatch Chart Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Region: West, Northwest
Mahogany Dun
Sizes: #14 - #20
Region: East, Midwest
Mahogany Dun
Sizes: #14 - #20

March Brown

Regional Hatch Chart Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Region: West, East
March Brown
Sizes: #10 - #14
Region: Northwest
March Brown
Sizes: #10 - #14
Region: Midwest
March Brown
Sizes: #10 - #14

PMD

Regional Hatch Chart Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Region: West, Northwest, East, Southeast, Midwest
PMD
Sizes: #14 - #20

Quill Gordon

Regional Hatch Chart Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Region: East, Southeast
Quill Gordon
Sizes: #12 - #16

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