The pattern notebook · nymph
Clouser's Swimming Nymph
How do you tie a Clouser's Swimming Nymph?
Clouser's Swimming Nymph is a nymph fly pattern for trout, smallmouth bass, carp. Find its 8 materials and 13 tying steps below.
- Difficulty
- 3 of 5
- Target species
- trout, smallmouth bass, carp
- Pattern designer
- Bob Clouser
Added to catalog · Updated
At the vise
Materials
- Nymph Hook, Tiemco 200R, size 8-10
- Thread (70 Denier), Orange or Rust
- Rabbit Strip, Crawfish or Gold
- Flashabou, Gold
- Dubbing, Rust or Crawfish
- Peacock Herl
- Hen Hackle, Crawfish or Brown
- Lead-free Wire, 0.20" Diameter
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Tying instructions
Secure the nymph hook in the vise.
Wrap lead-free wire around the shank to create a weighted core, covering the abdomen and thorax area.
Start the thread at the hook eye and create a thread base along the shank extending to the barb.
Tie in a few strands of Flashabou at the rear of the thread base. Fibers should extend approximately 3/4 of the hook length.
Trim a section of fur from a Crosscut Rabbit or Zonker strip and tie it in over the Flashabou. Tips should extend about 1/2 hook length beyond the tie-in point. Trim excess and save for dubbing.
Dub a thick abdomen covering the rear 2/3 of the hook shank using scraps of fur from the Rabbit Strip.
Tie in a small bunch of Peacock Herl extending over the abdomen along the top of the hook. Trim excess.
Tie in a Hen Hackle feather by the tip and trim the excess.
Dub the thorax of similar thickness to the abdomen.
Wrap the Hackle forward with hackle pliers, taking care to pull fibers back with each wrap.
Part the Hackle evenly along the top of the hook and pull the Peacock Herl forward. Secure the herl behind the eye of the hook.
Trim excess herl, ensuring the eye is clear.
Whip finish, trim the thread, and apply flex seal to complete.