FLYMPH FORUM

Here is a picture of the flymph that started it all for me. The pattern is credited to Rick Hafele in Western Mayfly Hatches: From the Rockies to the Pacific by Hafele and Hughes, but I first became acquainted with it in Hughes' Wet flies.

Hook: Standard wet fly, 2x stout, size 12-16
Thread: Red Pearsall's Gossamer silk
Tails: Pheasant center tail fibers
Rib: Gold tinsel
Body: Dark hare's ear fur spun on red silk
Hackle: Furnace or brown hen



See Ray's topic in the Fishing Wingless Wets section http://www.flymphforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=6107 for more info.

Nicely done, Carl.

Hi Carl,
Perhaps you can answer a question for me, I have seen a few other Flymphs and it seems like the the tinsel is too wide for the body. My ignorance of Flymphs is showing but it strikes me that a gold wire or a very tiny width tinsel would seem to balance out the fly better. The ones I've seen all look like the tinsel is overpowering the body. Is it supposed to be that way? Thanks, bud.

Tim, the tinsel is really a matter of preference and can be used either wide or narrow for specific hatches or circumstances.

Take a look at this TroutNut photo of a Beaverkill River March Brown. See the banding along the body. A pretty good match with wider tinsel.
Also, on sunnier days it is often to the fisherman's advantage to have a more "flashy" pattern that will pick up the light and reflect it about as the imitation travels downstream. It mimics attractive properties and movement.

Also, the flymph stage represents that emerging stage of an insect's life as it works to the surface to shed its nymphal shuck and promote its wings to the world above. Many insects use air bubbles to aid in this process. The "flash" of the tinsel can aid in that translucent mimicry of air bubbles.

I don't use the wide tinsel a lot on my patterns. But almost all my march brown patterns do and I always have a few just for the purposes listed above.

I use copper wire a lot more to add just a little bit of flash, but mostly for durability. The wire id definitely easier to work with. The tinsel can be a bit tricky at times, especially the wider tinsel, as it wants to slip around.

Great fly Carl! The fly that I give away the most at the March Oregon Expo. I came across it first in Dave's 1987 book Western Streamside Guide which includes a tale of Rick out catching Dave while fishing on a river near Eugene where Rick matched the hatch with his flymph.

raven4ns, I agree with Old Hat.
I tie many nymphs with a variety of tinsels to match fishing conditions more than the aesthetics of the fly. I may change color (gold, silver, copper, pearl...), type(flat, oval, wire) or width of tinsel while using the same nymph pattern and have seen fish turn off of one to prefer a slight change in the other. Think in terms of different light conditions (sunlight, cloudy or passing clouds), water depth and/or turbidity. A great quote from a local flyshop owner- " Do you know why there are so many flies in this shop?... They all work at some time!".

raven4ns
More from the past on your question.... http://www.flymphforum.com/viewtopic.ph ... ymph#p5842

Thanks everyone for the help. Many of the things you guys mentioned I had not even considered.

Marvelous fly, Carl. Masterfully tied and photographed.

Very nice tie.
I love it and would fish it in a flash. Well done.

Very nice fly Carl!