The Beaded Prince's Nymph is one of those must have flies. It rates along with Pheasant Tail nymphs, Gold Ribbed Hare's Ear nymphs and Zug Bug as one of the top 10 nymphs that you must have in your fly box.

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

It is the use of the green peacock herl with it's efflorescent qualities that makes it so alluring and successful. This forked tail nymph originated with the brothers Don and Dick Olson of Bemidji, Minnesotas, USA, but it was made popular in Western North America by Doug Prince of Monerey, California from whom it gets it's name .

The gold colored beads add weight to a fly. After a few hours with a fly rod you understand the necessity for adding weight to small flies. Trout tend to feed on midge larva and nymphs near the streambed. We all know that fish also look for emerging pupae as they float to the surface but consistent angling results rests in getting your flies to where the hungry fish look for their next meal, most of the time and that is near the bottom. To do this you need flies that sink. Because the bead is at the front of the fly it is this section that dives to the river floor first when the line is paused on the retrieve. After casting the fly try retrieve, pause, retrieve, pause. This helps animate the fly and makes them more attractive to the trout. If a sunbeam shines through the water it will reflect off the shinny gold bead head surface and hopefully help in catching the eye of a predatory trout. I prefer gold colored beads as I believe your chances of a fish taking your fly are improved. Some fishermen also suggested that the bead imitates an air bubble. This is a bonus when trying to imitate Sedge Pupa. Many classic patterns have gold bead head variations. We have included 6 variations of our Gold Ribbed Hare's Ear Nymphs. Have fun. Have a great day. Go fly fishing!.

Nymphs represent insects in their under water aquatic life stage. This stage comes before the adult stage where the insects emerge out of the water and fly away, normally to mate and lay eggs (dry fly). Technically the term 'Nymph' means the juvenile stage of a Mayfly but it is commonly used to refer to any insect in it's aquatic life stage. Nymphs are, perhaps one of the most deadliest ways of taking most species of freshwater fish. In a river or stream, they can be fished anywhere from just beneath the surface to imitate emerging or drowned flies to right to the bottom to imitate the unhatched larvae. These flies weigh a little more than a dry fly, and weight is often added to them in order for them to achieve the proper depth. This additional weight makes them a little harder to cast but the good news is that there is almost no wind resistance. Generally fish nymph flies along the bottom, move them slowly and smoothly. Every now and then dart the fly forward as if it is attacking its prey or trying to escape from the advances of a predatory large fish. Such movements hopefully may induce a following trout to take your fly.

All fly fishing men and women dream of being on the water during a hatch or a spinner fall and watching our fly being gently sipped under the surface of the water by a large trout. This is one of the most exciting times in our sport but what about the other 90% of the time when there is not and action on the surface? The fish are still feeding. Yes you can keep casting away at likely spots with dry flies but you would have more success if you placed your fly where the fish were feeding and that is under water.

If the water is not clear and you cannot see your target fish you will have to read the water to try and find out the best place to cast your fly. Large areas of the river will hold no trout at all. Trout are usually solitary feeders and can normally be found next to something solid like a big boulder, patch of weeds, or the river bank. They lie up in stretches of the river where there is a high concentration of food. Look for creases on the water surface. These are lines that normally run downstream. They are caused by bodies of water, flowing at different rates, colliding. Trout food is concentrated in and around these creases. Food is carried by the current and concentrated where the current is funneled in the fast water of runs, riffles, creases plus the heads and tails of pools.

There is often slack water by the river bank and fast flowing water a few inches away. This is why a lot of trout can be found near the bank. Boulders and weedbeds cause the water to speed up to as they get past them. A crease is formed between the fast and slow water that traps floating aquatic insects in the eddies. Fish the crease and providing the trout are feeding you will catch fish. Fish like to conserve energy and hold in slower moving slack water on the edge of faster water. This enables the food to come to them and they are close enough to nip out into the faster water to intercept their target food as it drifts past. Look for seams of foaming turbulent water as it pass over submerged boulders. Even though there is a current of fast moving water on the surface there is a pocket of slower water beneath it and some of these pockets will hold fish.

If the nymph does not drift naturally the trout will refuse it. Try to keep as much of the line off the water as possible and follow the end of the line as it travels down stream with my rod tip. Set the hook at any tightening or unnatural movement or flutter of the strike indicator. Some of these will be the snagging of the nymph on the bottom but a number will be fish. If you find you are not getting any takes change the nymph to a smaller size. If it is clear water choose natural colored patterns and longer leaders with lighter tippets. If the water is dirty or colored use a more brighter colored and large pattern to help the trout see what is being offered to them.

Over 100 years ago past masters like G.E.M Skues fished his nymph imitations close to the bank. "I am always amazed at how many fly fishermen overlook the large trout lurking close to the bank. I call them Bankers." Just choose a small weighted nymph like this one. It will cut through the surface film and sink to the bottom. Approach your selected spot from down stream without spooking the fish. Caste upstream and drift your fly to a trout feeding in one of these near to the bank spots. Watch the trout strike the fly.

CUSTOMER'S COMMENTS
I have just taken up fly fishing again after a 16 year gap! How time flies. Sorry for the pun. I am fishing the Deerfield River in Massachusetts. I've been out twice and caught a 14" rainbow with a beaded nymph and a 12" rainbow with a yellow sulphur stone fly. I purchased about 100 flies from your company 16 years ago, mainly wet flies. I am getting some advice from a patron of the pub I own, he is an avid, long time fly caster and knows what the trout are going for. Beaded Nymphs, blue winged olives are working at the moment, but as you know it changes daily. Steve Pardoe MA, USA

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