The Red Diawl Bach Nymph Fly is good to use when there are bloodworms present in the water. Diawl Bach, is Welsh for ‘little devil’. This all round nymph attractor pattern can be fished in a variety of ways and it is gives good results in rough water as well as calm.

DIAWL BACH NYMPH FLY PATTERNS. Hook size 10 12 14 16 18 20 - $US each

It is suggestive of all sorts of aquatic insect life especially the midge. In Britain and some areas of Northern Europe it has become one of the most popular stillwater flies of recent times. This is quite an acclaim for such a drab, non-descript fly. The secret to this fly’s success is its sparse, nymph like profile making it a fly for all seasons and waters. In North America the Prince's Nymph is King in Britain it is the small welsh little devil the Diawl Bach.

Chris Reeves is a local guide and active competition fly fisherman. His favorite match fishing deep water boat fishing technique involves having a very long leader the same length as the depth of the water. He ties on four buzzers, Diawl Bach, Pheasant Tail nymphs or soft hackled 'Spider' wet flies. the trick is to make a long cast down stream, then wait until the boat has floated directly on top of the flies. The flies have had time to sink to the bottom. he then begins the retrieve. The flies move up to the surface vertically mimicking the natural emerging insects as they make their way up to the surface. He keeps his rod tip near the surface above them and makes a stop start gentle retrieve with no slack line. When the fish take they are slightly disorientated at first and move up towards the boat but then hang on as they realize what has happened and try to swim off

The Diawl Bach Booby washing line rig - I like using this set up of Diawl Bach on droppers when other tactics are not working. Rather than have the point fly at the end of your leader, the largest and heaviest fly to help the leader sink, I tie on a very buoyant booby nymph. I often use a red booby nymph if there are bloodworms in the river or lake. This keeps the end of the leader up near the surface. I then tie on three Diawl Bach nymphs on droppers. They dangle down in the water, off the horizontal leader, just like clothing hanging down from a washing line. It simulates mayfly and caddis nymphs that are nearing the surface just before they reach the top and emerge into adults. I tie the leader onto an intermediate or slow sinking line. In August during a heat wave I went to a local fishery in Southern England. Talking to a few of the anglers on the lake they said that the fishing was slow as expected. They were all fishing deep with three buzzers on droppers tied to a long leader. If I did the same I would get the same results. It was too early for a hatch but I believed that the nymphs might be getting ready for the hatch and moving up through the water. I tied on a 'washing line rig' and sent out my first cast. I caught four times the amount of fish as the other fly fishermen.

FACEBOOK READER'S COMMENT
When I last went boat fishing on a reservoir I was determined to find some sport at the surface. I cast out a floating line and a team nymphs on a short leader. An hour and a half later I had to switch to the fastest sinker I had in my bag. The wind had picked up in strength so I needed a long cast to give the line time enough to sink before I could start the retrieve. I found what worked was a fast retrieve, ending with the team of nymphs left to fish for themselves for a moment or two “on the hang”, proved irresistible to a couple of 1 ½ lb rainbow trout when the boat had drifted only a few yards. I tied on two standard Diawl Bach nymphs on the top and point, the point fly being the biggest. On the middle dropper I tied one of your red diawl bachs. Both went for this version of the fly. Was it the depth the fly was being fished at or the red dressing. I am not too sure but I know I will use it again and again. Gareth Jones – Port Talbot, South Wales.

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