Bird’s Nest

Bird’s Nest, Natural

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Tying Instructions

1. Mash down the barb with the vise and slip on a bead to fit. I’m using a 3/32″ Gold Cyclop bead on a Daiichi 1710 size 12 hook.

2. Attach the thread behind the bead and lay a thread foundation to the bend of the hook.

3. Select a Mallard Flank feather that is flat on the top. Woodduck has been difficult to obtain so many are using Mallard or Teal Flank. I am using Mallard Flank dyed Woodduck. Clip the tip with about 15-20 fibers. Measure the tip for a length to be about 3/4 as the hook shank.

4. Attach the fibers at the bend of the hook and securing the tag end of the fibers along the top of the hook shank..

5. Attach a section of small copper wire to the bottom of the hook shank for ribbing. Secure the wire to the bend of the hook.

6. Apply the dubbing blend to the thread. I am using 50% Natural Aussie Possum, 40% Hare’s Mask, and 10% Gray Olive Simi Seal. Twist around the thread and secure the first fibers to the shank with a turn. With the first fibers anchored to the hook shank, twist some more on the dubbing to create a rope.

7. Apply the dubbed rope along the hook shank creating a tapered abdomen to just past the midpoint of the shank.

8. Then wrap the wire ribbing to the end of the abdomen and secure with thread wraps. Trim off the tag end of the wire.

9. Select a Mallard feather dyed Woodduck with good barring and a flat tip.

10. Position the feather at the top of the shank with the ends just protruding the tail tie in position. Using your thumb and index finger, distribute the fibers around the shank and secure with thread wraps. Clip off the tag end of the fibers.

11. If you require additional fibers, apply another section of fibers to the bottom of the shank. Adjust the length to just beyond the tail tie in position and secure with thread wraps. Clip off the tag end of the fibers.

12. Secure with the tag ends of the fibers with thread wraps up to the bead, providing a smooth section for the thorax.

13. The thorax should be larger in diameter than the abdomen. You also want it to be quite buggy in appearance. After all, it’s a bird’s nest, right? Create a dubbing loop with the thread. Remember to add a couple of thread turns around the loop under the hook shank to close the loop. Prepare the Aussie Possum dubbing by stroking the material in one direction and apply the dubbing to the center of the loop. Using a dubbing loop tool, close the loop and start to twist.

14. I’m actually using a Matarelli Cal Bird Dubbing tool. Twist the loop to form a thin rope with the fibers extending out from the rope core.

15. Orienting the fibers of the dubbing loop back towards the tail, wrap the loop forward to the bead and secure the loop with thread wraps behind the bead. Trim off the tag end of the loop. Apply some additonal dubbing just behind the bead to fully secure the bead against the hook eye.

16. Whip Finish. Yes, I am using a Matarelli Whip finisher. I’m told that Cal Bird, being his neighbor, was always fussing with the tools to Frank Matarelli’s chagrin.

17. The Finished Bird’s Nest. The original did not have a bead but a thread head. The additional weight helps in the getting the fly where it needs to be. Try a tungsten bead or go ballistic with the Depth Charge that Greg Vinci designed.

Materials to Order Material, click the link
Hook	Daiichi 1710 #10-16
Thread	Danville Camel 6/0
Head	Gold Tungsten Bead
Ribbing	Small Copper Wire
Body	50% Natural Australian Opossum, 40% Natural Hare's Mask and 10% Gray/Olive Simi Seal
Thorax	Natural Australian Opossum
Tail	Dyed Mallard Flank, Wood Duck
Collar(Legs)	Dyed Mallard Flank, Wood Duck

Cal Bird

Bird’s Nest

The Bird’s Nest is a nymph pattern designed by the late Calvert “Cal” Bird in 1980. Cal was a master fly tier, who owned a small fly shop in San Francisco in the 40’s and 50’s. According to Chuck Stranahan: “Cal and Helen were frequent visitors when I had a shop near Burney, California, during the late ’70’s and early ’80’s. We fished Hat Creek and the Fall River, where our experiments with fly design took shape under the acid test of those two exceedingly demanding and difficult waters.”

 “Late in the 1980 season I got a phone call from Cal: “Chuck, I’ve come up with a new fly. It’s simpler than a Hare’s Ear, more versatile than a Muddler Minnow, and it’s a wonder nobody has come up with it before.” He went on to describe his success with the new pattern on Arcularius Ranch on the Owens River the weekend before, where he caught an eight pound brown on this new fly he called the Bird’s Nest.” 

Natural Fur Dubbing Blend

Usually tied in tan colors to imitate caddis pupae, other colors used are cream, brown, and olive. Cal actually used a blend of Australian Opossum and dyed Coyote for the dubbed body. He also insisted on Woodduck flank for the tail and hackle to achieve the proper stiffness. Often, other flytiers will substitute Teal or Mallard Flank and utilize Haretron or a similar dubbing for the body. The use of dubbing blends was important to Cal as no natural insect will have a single color. Cal liked to use a blend of 50% Gray Australian Possum, 40% Hare’s Mask (as a substitute for Coyote), and 10% Simi Seal (as a substitute for Seal’s fur) in a spectral coloration.

Personal choices

Matarelli Dubbing Tool

According to Ralph Cutter in his fine book, “Fish Food” (2005), Cal claimed that he gave the fly it’s distinctive name due to an entanglement with a bird’s nest while on the Truckee and that the name should be spelled with a lowercase ‘b’. Their mutual friend, Polly Rosborough, hinted that it may have gained a different spelling after he chided Cal upon naming a fly after himself. You might notice that the pattern also uses Polly Rosborough’s technique of “tying in the round”, which was particularly popular during the 1950’s. Another interesting feature is the rougher thorax with more protruding fibers. Frank Matarelli, a neighbor of Cal, designed a hook, known as Cal Bird’s Dubbing Tool, This tool is used within the “improved” Bird’s Nest to create a dubbing loop in which the Opossum dubbing is applied for a more buggy look on the thorax.

An Attractor Pattern

The Bird’s Nest is generally considered an attractor pattern that can be fished on a dead drift, either weighted or unweighted. Sierra guide, Ralph Cutter, prefers to use this pattern for hatches of the Swimming Nymphs, Siphlonuridae, which include the Gray Drakes, Black Drakes, and Ameletus. He will use short strips which gives the Bird’s Nest a lively action with the hairs of the body pulsating to the action of the Woodduck hackle. Application of dessicant powder works well with this pattern as the powder will help to trap air bubbles within the hackle overbody. This produces a shimmering effect that is often seen within natural pupa rising to the surface. The Bird’s Nest is often tied with beads of copper, gold, or black.

Variations

Variations on the Bird’s Nest include Ken Morrish’s Dirty Bird. Ken’s fly is usually tied in Rust, Olive, and Natural Hare’s Ear. It is a popular Steelhead fly in larger sizes of 6 and 8 but can be a good trout fly in the smaller sizes. The unique twist on this pattern is the underwing of flash and utilizing Partridge rather than Dyed Mallard for the wing and tail. The abdomen is longer while the thorax is also substantially smaller. The pattern tends to be more of a caddis pupa imitation and the Partridge hackle provides a soft hackle effect.

Greg Vinci added an additional Tungsten bead and a tungsten wire underbody (Tungsten wire is popular in Europe but very difficult to find in the U.S.). He call’s his variation, Depth Charge Bird’s Nest. Tied in sizes #14-16, the Depth Charge represents Caddis Pupae. In slightly larger sizes #10-14, the pattern is more of an attractor pattern. Greg will also tie this pattern in sizes # 6-10 using Ginger or Golden Stone Goose Biots for the tails and antennae to represent a stonefly nymph pattern.

Sierra Drifter Guide, Tom Loe, came up with his version that he ties in a light and dark variation. He named this variation, Assassin. The abdomen is Hare’s Ear that is elongated almost to the bead with a short thorax about the same width as the bead with the same Hare’s Ear.

Black Bead Bird’s Nest, Olive

Hook	Daiichi 1710 #10-16
Thread	Uni Thread Olive Dun 8/0
Head	Black Ruby Tungsten
Ribbing	Medium Copper Wire
Body	Olive Mottled Nymph
Thorax	Olive Aussie Possum
Tail	Dyed Mallard Flank, Wood Duck
Collar(Legs)	Dyed Mallard Flank, Wood Duck

Copper Bead Bird’s Nest, Black

Hook	Daiichi 1710 #10-16
Thread	Veevus Black 10/0
Head	Copper Bead
Ribbing	Medium Copper Wire
Body	Black Mottled Nymph
Thorax	Black Australian Opossum
Tail	Dyed Mallard Flank, Black
Collar(Legs)	Dyed Mallard Flank, Black

Morrish’s Dirty Bird

Hook	TMC 9300 #10-14
Thread	Danville Black 6/0
Head	Gold Tungsten Bead
Ribbing	Medium Copper Wire
Body	Dark Hare's Ear Arizona Synthetic Dubbing
Thorax	Black Mottled Nymph
Tail	Hungarian Partridge, Natural
Undercollar(Wings)	Midge Krystalflash, Root Beer
Collar(Legs)	Hungarian Partridge, Natural

Depth Charge Bird’s Nest (Caddis Pupa version)

Hook	TMC 2302 #14-18
Thread	Uni-Thread Tan 8/0
Head	2.00mm Copper Tungsten Bead and 2.8mm Black Tungsten Bead
Ribbing	Midge Krystalflash, Root Beer
Body	Arizona Synthetic Dubbing, Pheasant Tail
Thorax	Natural Tan Hare's Mask with Guard hairs using a dubbing twister
Tail	Hungarian Partridge, Natural
Collar(Legs)	Hungarian Partridge, Natural

Depth Charge Bird’s Nest (Stonefly version)

Hook	TMC 2302 #12-14
Thread	Uni-Thread Olive 8/0
Head	2.00mm Copper Tungsten Bead and 2.8mm Black Tungsten Bead
Antennae	Golden Stone Goose Biots
Ribbing	Small Copper Wire
Body	Arizona Synthetic Dubbing, Light Peacock
Thorax	Arizona Synthetic Dubbing, Light Peacock using a dubbing twister
Tail	Golden Stone Goose Biots
Collar(Legs)	Hungarian Partridge, Natural

Assassin, Light

Hook	TMC 2302 #14-18
Thread	Uni-Thread Black 8/0
Head	3/32 Tungsten Ruby Black
Ribbing	Medium Red Wire
Body	Hare's Ear Plus Dubbing, Black
Thorax	Hare's Ear Plus Dubbing, Black
Tail	Dyed Mallard Barred Flank, Black
Collar(Legs)	Dyed Mallard Flank, Wood Duck