Top 10 Czech Nymph Patterns

 
I created a new page (click the link to follow) dedicated to my top ten favorite Czech Nymph patterns. By clicking on the pictures you can view the flies in higher resolution than I normally use in my posts.

And don't forget, the Step by Step sequence to tying "my" Czech Nymph is on my SBS pages.

Depth Charge Caddis

At the extreme parts of the season the Grayling are huddled in deep holes and refuse to budge. They are still eating though, and can be persuaded to accept a your fly, if it is presented at their level. This heavy monstrosity (slightly bigger and heavier than a rimfire bullet) will do the trick, just remember to keep the bead away from your graphite rod (and don't you ever dare to tie it on a bamboo rod setup, that would be extremely bad manners!).

The tie:
#10 Jig hook
4.6mm Tungsten bead
a layer of flat lead
green UNI Neon thread for the peeping head
a turn of Partridge hackle
natural spiky hare ribbed with gold tinsel

Olive Quill

My infatuation with dying stuff to color Olive seems to recognize no limits. I have just discovered that a peacock quill will take color quite well - with the obvious implications to my tying :)

The tie:
#16 Hanák 130BL hook
14/0 Sheer thread Grey
my very own super special peacock quill, dyed olive
2 puffs of CDC
rough hare thorax (makes the CDC stand up in Mayfly fashion), teased out a bit to suggest legs

Olive Czechs

Continued experiments with a white rabbit pelt and Veniard dyes led me to these nymphs.

The abdomens are dyed Golden Olive, Medium Olive and Brown Olive. The last one is natural hare belly for comparison. The hotspots are Hot Orange and Light Claret, front part is natural hare dubbing from the back. Shellback is Honey colored Body Stretch and ribbing is 0.16 mm mono spinning line.

Large Dark Olive

A new SBS has been added - Large Dark Olive mayfly dun. The Large Dark Olive, or LDO for short, refers to spring generation of Baetis rhodani. Where I live this mayfly is the first of the major river hatches to appear and provides very welcome opportunities for dry fly action.

This SBS was originally written for Fly Fishing Central.

Beaded bandits

A couple of Tungsten beadheads in the fashion of Uhorčík, the fabled bandit hero from Slovakia.

The ones on the left are #10 Hanák 260 BL and 3.5 mm bead, the ones on middle and right are #12 and 3.0 mm bead.

Aspects of Olive

My dyeing experiments led me to some interesting shades of Olive color. One that shows promise is the Brown Olive from Veniard; it makes for some (in my eyes) very life-like imitation of Large Dark Olive mayflies.

As an added bonus it serves as a doable abdomen for Czech style nymphs.