Czech Nymph

Nymph imitating caddis and shrimp and scuds, for trout and grayling. Intermediate.

A heavily weighted body on a curved hook: olive dubbed abdomen, dark thorax, a tan shellback and two ribs.

Materials

Steps

  1. Add weight: lead-free wire Wrap the lead-free wire in touching turns from 25% of the way along the shank to 75% of the way along the shank. About 15 turns centred on the hook.
  2. Attach thread Attach the thread at 85% of the way along the shank with a few turns and trim the tag end. Wrap over the lead so it tapers smoothly at both ends.
  3. Wrap thread Wrap the thread to the start of the bend in touching turns.
  4. Tie in: tan scud back Tie in the tan scud back with a few firm thread turns. On top, stretched, wrapped back deep into the bend.
  5. Tie in: copper wire Tie in the copper wire with a few firm thread turns.
  6. Tie in: monofilament Tie in the monofilament with a few firm thread turns. On the far side, so it makes almost a full turn before crossing the back.
  7. Dub: olive dubbing Twist a thin noodle of olive dubbing onto the thread and wrap it forward to 65% of the way along the shank. Sparse and even: the lead already gives the taper.
  8. Dub: black peacock ice dub Twist a thin noodle of black peacock ice dub onto the thread and wrap it forward to 90% of the way along the shank.
  9. Wind: copper wire Wind the copper wire forward to 90% of the way along the shank in 7 turns. Open, even turns.
  10. Tie off: copper wire Tie off the copper wire with a few thread turns and trim the excess.
  11. Pull over: tan scud back Pull the tan scud back forward over the top of the body and tie it down at 90% of the way along the shank. Trim the excess. Centred over the top, stretched slightly.
  12. Wind: monofilament Wind the monofilament forward to 90% of the way along the shank in 7 turns. Between the copper turns, pulling up on the near side so the back stays put.
  13. Tie off: monofilament Tie off the monofilament with a few thread turns and trim the excess.
  14. Whip finish Form a small head, whip finish with 5 turns and cut the thread. Pick out the thorax dubbing with a bodkin for legs.

History

Less a single pattern than a style. Czech competitors saw the Poles' short-line nymphing at a competition in Poland in 1984, used it to place second behind Poland at the 1985 world championship, and in 1986 Slavoj Svoboda won the individual title with it. The Polish flies imitated free-living caddis larvae such as Hydropsyche and Rhyacophila.

Early Czech nymphs had bodies of washing-up sponge, horsehair ribs and backs of mackintosh; they grew slimmer as materials improved. Skip Clement sees the method as that of the Polish champion Władysław Trzebunia under another name.

Fishing it

Fished dead-drift along the bottom, classically as a team of two or three on a short line, close to the rod tip with little or no line on the water; takes show as a check in the leader, and a coloured indicator section helps to see them. Grayling take it best, trout too. It fishes all year, and is especially useful in high water.

Sources