The pattern notebook · nymph
Squirrel Nymph
How do you tie a Squirrel Nymph?
Squirrel Nymph is a nymph fly pattern for trout. Find its 7 materials and 18 tying steps below.
- Difficulty
- 3 of 5
- Target species
- trout
- Pattern designer
- Dave Whitlock
Added to catalog · Updated
At the vise
Materials
- Hook: TMC 5262 size 12
- Weight: Lead wire
- Thread: Danville's Flymaster 6/0 orange
- Tail: Red fox squirrel tail
- Rib: UNI-French Oval Tinsel gold small
- Body: SLF Whitlock's Dubbing Blends #1 Red Fox Squirrel Abdomen
- Collar: Hungarian partridge skin natural
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Tying instructions
Secure the hook in the vise.
Wrap lead wire around the center of the hook shank with a dozen turns.
Start the thread behind the eye and create a thread dam in front of and behind the lead wire.
Tie in a small clump of red fox squirrel tail on top of the hook shank, just shorter than the hook shank.
Tie in the UNI-French Oval Tinsel on the near side of the hook shank.
Dub the SLF Whitlock's Dubbing Blends #1 Red Fox Squirrel Abdomen onto the thread.
Wrap the dubbing two-thirds of the way up the hook shank.
Make open spiral turns with the tinsel up to the tie-in point.
Tie off the tinsel.
Select a darker-colored feather from the back of a Hungarian partridge skin.
Pull away all the fuzzy material from the feather.
Tie in the partridge feather by the tip.
Wrap the feather one and a half to two times, preening the fibers back.
Tie off the partridge feather.
Run the thread back up over some of the hackle to help lay it down.
Build a prominent orange head with the thread.
Whip finish with four or five turns.
Cut the thread and apply head cement.