The Bella Nymph                       Geoff Churcher

 

Size         Grub Hooks, sizes 12 & 14

Shape     Tail floats fly point upwards to reduce snagging on the bottom.  The deer hair tail flair and tail size is critical to give this fly the right drag profile.

Variants   Unweighted, plastic bead, glass bead, brass bead, or tungsten beads can be used to vary the depth at which this fly swims in the water column

Body       Dark grey animal (Bella) under fur

Hackle     A natural grey CDC Feather, palmered to provide highly mobile leg fibres.

 

Tying Instructions

 

  1. Beads Select which bead weight to use & thread one onto hook. 

 

  1. Ribbing          Lock 50 mm of copper pot scourer material with thread, with the loose end of the copper facing back.  This is used as the ribbing to strengthen the fly

 

  1. The Tail          Select 8-12 light deer hairs.  Level the tips.  Tie in with the tips facing away from the hook eye starting above the hook point.  The tail is the same length as the distance between the hook eye and the hook point.  The tails should be flared to 30 degrees using thread tension and follow around the hook curve (this is the critical drift control feature).  Tie in the deer hair butts forward along the hook shank to provide added buoyancy working the thread to the back of the eye of the hook. 

 

  1. The Hackle    Cut off the fibres off one side of a large CDC feather.  Save the cut fibres.  Twist the fibres together so they don’t float away.  Tie the CDC feather butt in vertically behind the hook eye with the tip facing forward.  Return thread back to the tail tie in point.

 

  1. Body Material Dub a small amount of Bella fur onto your tying thread by holding the pinch of fur with your lower fingers and twisting the fur up & around the thread in only one direction.  Slide each twist up the thread to the hook shank.  Only use small amounts of fur for each twist.  Progressively build up a continuous thin fur rope on the thread 70 mm long.  Wind this fur rope forward onto the hook to form a progressively thicker tapered body.  Leave thread behind the eye.

(THIS DUBBING SKILL IS A FUNDAMENTAL FLY TYING SKILL)

 

  1. Hackle            The CDC feather is fragile.  Carefully palmer the CDC in 4-6 turns back down the hook shank.  Secure feather tip with the ribbing.  Cut off excess feather.

 

  1. Ribbing          Wind the copper ribbing forward working in between the CDC fibres in 4-5 even turns to the eye.  Wrap two tight turns at the eye and cut off excess wire.

 

  1. Creating the head

Dub the saved CDC fibres, plus others if needed, onto the thread and form a CDC collar immediately behind the bead, stroking the CDC fibres back to create the thorax of the fly.  Sweep the palmered CDC fibres back to create the legs.

 

  1. Whip Finish   

Double whip finish immediately behind the bead.

 

 

Glass Beadhead Unweighted Bella Nymph

 

 

Same materials and tying process as above but, substitute smaller size 14 Grub hook and an unweighted orange glass bead.  Designed to float easily in the current seams behind the heavier bead head Bella nymph versions.  Ideally tied on into the middle of a Surgeons Loop knot to maximize movement.