Attractor nymphs

[DUBBN]

A fly does not have to hook fish to be considered effective. Hence, "attractor ". I will say this though, in the Spring the Montana Prince and this variation is deadly.

[letumgo]

Poor fish don’t stand a chance against patterns like this... Wonderful...


Can you tell us more about how you fish these, and using them as attractors. I’m interested in the details.

[raven4ns]

Well done, DUBBN, excellently tied.

[hankaye]

DUBBN, Howdy;

Beautiful work there. What sizes do you tie them?

hank

[Boarmountain]

Very nice! Recipe please?

[Johnno]

Liking the hues..

[letumgo]

Wayne - I keep coming back to look at the body work, and am wondering if this is the same technique you and Bill Schuck use several years back (wire inside flex tubing). I need to dig back thru the old posts, to see if I can find any prior examples. Hopefully you know what I mean.

[Ron Eagle Elk]

Not sure, but if it's true to the Montana Prince, the body is usually two different sizes and colors of wire wrapped side by side up the shank. I think DUBBN's version is absolutely striking. Recipe would be appreciated.

[DUBBN]

Not sure, but if it's true to the Montana Prince, the body is usually two different sizes and colors of wire wrapped side by side up the shank.

I would venture to say you are correct Ron. The two bottom flies with the beads are patterns purchased from a fly shop in Carbondale Colorado, many years ago on different occasions. Their abdomens are two different colored wires. Brown and White. I try to use the word "variant" posting my own version of someone else's patterns. The top fly is mine, and has hen CDL as a collar.


This pattern morphs every time I tye it. Sometimes I have a partridge under collar and a hen hackle outer collar.Sometimes I use Brahma or CDL hen. I never seem to have the color biots that I want, which are light Brown. So I throw on what ever biot I have handy.

The first MPN's (Montana Prince Nymphs) I tyed were Dark Brown Biots, dark Brown under body (thread), dark Brown thorax, and a deep Brown hen hackle. They worked well then, just as their cousins do now. Note the ginormous scud hook I was using. Probably a size 8


The abdomen of this pattern is Tan Midge Tubing. It has a white wire inserted through it. Through the years I have become quite good at running about 18 inches of wire in to the tubing. This will tie about 5 size 14 flies.
.

Sometimes I tie it with a bead. Sometimes, but rarely, I remember to put white rubber band legs on it. The fly on the right is a 20 inch Stone Nymph with the MPN abdomen.


My local fly shop keeps selling Tan Midge Tubing that is closer to Olive/Brown. I bought some and tried it. No difference in how the pattern works for me. However, even with my poor photography skills you can still see the difference in the abdomens on some of my patterns.


This pattern is not a fish magnet. However, it does a great job of getting trout to come in close for an inspection. Then the trout take my tiny baetis and midge imitations.

At the end of the drift I let the three nymphs swing to the surface. Every once in awhile I get a trout to take the MPN with its over sized hen hackles. The MPN is not the only attractor I use, but it is a darn good one.

hook - Mustad 79580 14 -10
Thread - Dark Brown
Tail/Wings - Goose biots, Brown
Abdomen - Tan Midge Tubing with a White wire core
Thorax - Synthetic dark Brown to light Hares Mask. Your choice
Collar - Hen hackle (India, genetic, 4B, Brahma, Coq De Leon) and or Partridge

It is the abdomen that makes this fly work. The original calls for 2 wires of different colors. I have fun using the midge tubing with the wire core.

[Ron Eagle Elk]

DUBBN, I used to use that wire in the tube technique several years ago. Makes a very effective abdomen. I guess I'll have to have Vickie thread the wire for me. With no depth perception it would take me for ever to even get started.

Thanks for the recipe and discussion. Much appreciated.