Tying Nymph Fly patterns

What are the ideal proportions when you are tying nymph fly patterns? Check our guide below to see the ideal guide to a nymph fly pattern.

Tying The Ideal Nymph Fly Pattern

1. The tail should measure one half of the hook shank or abdomen length. More realistic patterns may require a shorter tail of about one-third of the length of the hook shank
2. The abdomen should be tapered and be between one half the length of the hook shank to two thirds of the length of the hook shank depending upon the natural being imitated.
3. An ideal thorax measures about one half the length of a hook shank. These imitate the immature wings of the natural nymph as well as the head which are counted as part of the thorax. This is why the thorax appears to occupy one half of the length of the hook shank. This is very true of the stonefly who thorax is half the length of the hook shank where may be just one third of the length of the body of the hook shank
4. The head is the same size as the hook eye
5. The hackle legs are the same size as the hook gap, either the width of the hook gap or the thorax length
6. Most nymphs will have 4 strands of wire ribbing but this will vary according to the length of the hook shank and diameter of the ribbing used. For nymphs we would recommend Semperfli 0.1mm Fine wire ribbing which is ultra fine, ideal for small nymph fly patterns.

Check out tying guides for different nymph fly patterns:

• Sandys Straggle Pheasant Fly Tying Instructions