The pattern notebook · nymph
Rainbow Warrior
How do you tie a Rainbow Warrior?
Rainbow Warrior is a nymph fly pattern for trout. Find its 7 materials and 16 tying steps below.
- Difficulty
- 3 of 5
- Target species
- trout
- Pattern designer
- Lance Egan
Added to catalog · Updated
At the vise
Materials
- Emerger Hook, TMC 2488, sizes 14-20
- Tungsten Bead, 2.8mm, Rainbow/Flame
- Thread (8/0), Red
- Pheasant Tail Fibers
- Flashabou, Pearl
- Sow Scud Dubbing, Rainbow
- Head Cement
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Tying instructions
Mash the barb on the hook and place the tungsten bead onto the hook, small hole first.
Secure the hook in the tying vise.
Start the thread on the hook shank immediately behind the bead and snip the tag end off close.
Wrap the thread down to about the hook point.
Strip a half dozen pheasant tail fibers, align the tips, and measure to form a tail about a hook gap in length.
Secure the fibers to the top of the hook shank with a pinch wrap and take wraps rearward well into the bend.
Wrap the thread forward to the bead and trim excess pheasant tail.
Tie in the mylar just behind the bead and wrap back to the base of the tail.
Wrap the thread forward to form a completely red underbody.
Make overlapping spiral wraps with the mylar up the hook shank to behind the bead and secure with tight wraps of thread.
Pull the mylar back and wrap thread rearward to the hook point to create a wing case.
Create a thin, short dubbing noodle on the thread and wrap to form a bulbous thorax equal in size to the bead.
Pull the mylar forward over the dubbing to form a wing case and secure it behind the bead with two or three wraps of thread.
Fold the mylar back and take a few more wraps of thread to lock it in place, then snip the mylar close.
Build up a thread collar to act as a hotspot with two four or five turn whip finishes.
Snip the tying thread free and add a drop of head cement to the thread wraps for durability.