Gord’s Molting Dragonfly Nymph Fly Pattern

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Gord’s Molting Dragonfly Nymph …

Many moons ago when I was out tubing in Steward lake I saw my first molting dragonfly nymph.

I was just kicking off from shore after a pit stop when my flippers washed up what at first I thought was plastic or foam. Not because it was floating but because of the vivid colour. I flipped it up onto my tube apron and was a little freaked to see it was a dragon nymph. At first I thought it was an albino nymph but actually it was a watery pale minty colour.

It was later that I learned about the instars when the nymphs shed their skins as they grow bigger. It’s at this time, when the nymph has rid itself of the old skin, that it’s a  bright green, growing darker as the new body hardens. The reason you rarely see them like this is they know they scream dinner to any prey in the area so they lie low. With dragons living up to four years before becoming adults they have many instars and don’t ever think that the trout aren’t aware of this!

Moltinhg Dragonfly Nymph … photo by Glen Marks.

Gord’s Molting Dragonfly Nymph Fly | Material List:

HOOK:   Streamer/Wet nymph size 8 to 6
TAIL:   Green deer hair
UNDERBODY:   Foam 1/8″ thin strips
BODY:   Mint green chenille
RIB:   Gold
THORAX:    Green dubbing
WING CASE:   Green scud back
EYES:   Plastic green/black chain bead
LEGS:   Green black barred sililegs

Gord’s Molting Dragonfly Nymph Fly | Tying Instructions:

1. Start by securing the eyes just back of the hook eye with enough room to wind your dubbing in front.
2. Throw a pinch of green deer hair into a stacker, level the tips and tie in a tail –  securing the remainder of the deer hair along the full length of the hook up to the eyes.
3. Tie in foam (I have some craft foam that is see through thin and comes on a roll 2 inches wide I just cut long thin strips) and build a that big hip body.
4. Tie in the chenille and gold rib then wind the chenille 3/4 of the way up the hook followed up with the rib wound in the opposite direction. (Lately I’ve been using Maxima Green 12 lbs for the rib)
5. Tie in scud back just back of the eyes then pull forward out over the hook eye.
6. Build a sparse dubbing loop with the green dubbing back at the end of the body and wind forward to and around the scudback building a head around the eyes & then wind it back to where you started.
7. Pull the scudback over the thorax and secure at the end of the body with a few wraps.
8. Tie in your sililegs on either side at the same spot and whip finish.

Sounds complicated but it’s really not.

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Fish Gord’s Molting Dragonfly Nymph Fly Pattern near bottom and retrieve with a short, quick strips … oh and hold on tight! 😉

*** if you’re interested in custom tied, time tested & proven effective BC Interior fly patterns, but would rather buy than tie, please Contact us for details!

*** for more effective BC stillwater fly fishing patterns be sure to check out all of flies on our BCs best fly patterns index page!

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