Montana Nymph

Nymph imitating stoneflies and damselflies, for trout and bass. Beginner.

A black tail and chenille body, a yellow chenille thorax with a black hackle wound through it, and a black chenille wing case.

Materials

Steps

  1. Attach thread Attach the thread at 90% of the way along the shank with a few turns and trim the tag end.
  2. Wrap thread Wrap the thread to the start of the bend in touching turns.
  3. Tie in: black hackle fibres Tie in the black hackle fibres, leaving one and a half times the gape sticking out behind.
  4. Tie in: black chenille Tie in the black chenille with a few firm thread turns.
  5. Wrap thread Wrap the thread to 55% of the way along the shank in touching turns.
  6. Wind: black chenille Wind the black chenille forward to 55% of the way along the shank in 7 turns. A little more than half the shank.
  7. Tie off: black chenille Tie off the black chenille with a few thread turns and trim the excess.
  8. Tie in: black chenille (wing case) Tie in the black chenille (wing case) with a few firm thread turns. On top, lying back over the body.
  9. Tie in: black hen hackle Tie in the black hen hackle with a few firm thread turns. Soft hackle, curved side down, tight against the body.
  10. Tie in: yellow chenille Tie in the yellow chenille with a few firm thread turns.
  11. Wrap thread Wrap the thread to 88% of the way along the shank in touching turns.
  12. Wind: yellow chenille Wind the yellow chenille forward to 88% of the way along the shank in 4 turns.
  13. Tie off: yellow chenille Tie off the yellow chenille with a few thread turns and trim the excess.
  14. Wind: black hen hackle Wind the black hen hackle forward to 88% of the way along the shank in 3 turns. Open turns through the thorax, fibres sloping back.
  15. Tie off: black hen hackle Tie off the black hen hackle with a few thread turns and trim the excess.
  16. Pull over: black chenille (wing case) Pull the black chenille (wing case) forward over the top of the body and tie it down at 88% of the way along the shank. Trim the excess. Over the top of the thorax, pushing the hackle down to the sides.
  17. Whip finish Form a small head, whip finish with 5 turns and cut the thread.

History

An old American pattern meant to imitate large stonefly nymphs. Ahrex, Peter Driver and JustGone.Fishing say it was first tied by Lew Oatman of New York, but none gives a date or a primary source. The dressing has changed over time and is tied in many colours; black and yellow is the classic. Today it is also widely fished on stillwaters for rainbow trout, and in Scandinavia it is fished in lakes as a damsel and dragonfly nymph.

Fishing it

In rivers, dead drift it as a stonefly nymph, or cast it across heavy water on the point and let the current swing it down into calmer water. On lakes, fish it on a sinking line with a very slow retrieve, or on an intermediate line along the shore. It is also a searching pattern, and Guideline rates it for late evening and night fishing.

Sources