Mayfly Nymph

This is a basic Mayfly nymph pattern that is a nice alternative to the Pheasant Tail or the Hare's Ear. Start your thread on the hook and wrap back to the bend of the hook. For the tails, tie in a burnt orange, grizzly marabou feather to the top of the hook shank. Secure it and take wraps back about two-thirds toward the hook eye - using the remaining bulk to help build in a taper. Next, tie in a piece of brown LifeFlex and a small strand of burnt orange yarn at the butt end of your tails. The yarn will become your abdomen while the LifeFlex will be the ribbing. Take careful, touching wraps of the yarn two-thirds up the hook shank towards the eye and tie it off. Then take open wraps of the LifeFlex - stretching it tight - up the abdomen to create a nice, pronounced rib. Now it's time to work on the thorax. Begin by tying in several fibers from a Golden Pheasant tail for your wing case - running centered on top of the hook. For dubbing, I'm using a burnt orange (surprise!) Awesome Possum dubbing. It's nice a buggy. Dub a pronounced thorax tight up against the back of the wing case. Leave some space behind the hook eye to tie in your legs. Once the dubbing is done, take a dyed, sunburst yellow Hungarian Partridge feather - with the center tip cut out - and straddle it over the top of the hook. Secure these legs on either side of the hook. Finally, fold the Golden Pheasant tail fibers over the top of the hook and secure them behind the eye. This will help keep your legs separated. Build up a head using your thread and whip finish to complete this great Mayfly nymph.