Bird’s Stonefly Nymph

Bird’s Stonefly Nymph

Show

Tying Instructions

1.Wrap a layer of lead wire through the thorax region to the midpoint of the hook shank. Secure with thread wraps. Bring the thread to the bend of the hook just above the barb.

2. Apply a small bump of thread at the tail tie-in location. Attach two goose biots for tails, the thread bump will give the proper split. The length should be about the gap of the hook.

3. Attach a single strand of orange floss at the tail tie-in location as well as a clump of dubbing for the abdomen.

4. Dub a tapered abdomen with the seal-brown dubbing to just beyond the mid-point of the hook shank.

5. Twist the floss ribbing and wind forward with even turns. Tie-off and secure with thread wraps.

6.Cut a piece of a Turkey tail feather about 1/4 inch wide. The turkey feather should be coated with fixative prior to clipping. Secure the Turkey Tail piece to the thorax area on top of the hook shank.

7. Select a natural brown saddle hackle so that the fiber are 1 1/2 times the hook gap. Stroke the hackle fibers from the tip and attach the tip on the far side of the hook shank.

8. Attach 5-6 strands of Peacock Herl by the tips in front of the thorax.

9. Twist the herls together with the thread and wrap forward for a plump thorax.

10.Stroking the hackle fibers back , apply 3-4 turns.

11. Pull the wingcase forward and tie down just behind the eye.

12. Trim the excess and form a neatly tapered head with thread wraps. Whip Finish.

Materials to Order Material, click the link
Hook	Daiichi 1710 #4-12
Thread	Danville Fl. Orange Flat Waxed thread
Head	Danville Fl. Orange Flat Waxed thread
Weight	0.025 Leadfree wire
Body	Reddish Brown Simi-Seal Dubbing
Tail	Brown Goose Biots
Thorax	Peacock Herl
Wingcase	Dark Mottled Turkey
Legs	Brown Henback Hackle
Ribbing	Burnt Orange Single-strand Floss

Cal Bird

Bird’s Stonefly Nymph

Bird’s Stonefly Nymph was developed by Cal Bird around 1955 on the banks of Burney Creek. The fly was marketed by Dan Bailey of Montana and has remained a popular pattern for over 50 years. Cal owned and operated a flyshop in downtown San Francisco and moved to the Reno area in the 1970’s to spend the last 25 years of his life fishing his favorite waters of the Truckee and Tahoe area. Cal passed away in 1999. He was reknowned as a fly tier with creative patterns that remain popular. His other contributions include the Bird’s Nest, Bird’s Caddis, and Bird’s Stone.

Bird’s Stonefly Nymph fly is a simple pattern which has proved very effective for stoneflies within the Sierran Streams. The recipe was one which Andy Burk, a close friend of Cal, reported in the April 2004 issue of California Flyfisher. It is an effective Salmonfly nymph in sizes #4-8.

Salmonfly nymphs will inhabit the stream for 2-4 years and migrate once the water warms to about 50 degrees. The migration will start on the lower reaches of the stream and will work upstream. The nymphs will move during the late afternoon and early evening from the riffles to the shallows and eddies of the shore. During the night, they will crawl onto the rocks and foliage along the stream to emerge from their shucks. During this 4-5 day migration, nymphs often become dislodged into the current. Use a drag-free drift along the feeding lanes. The fly needs to have enough weight to bounce along the bottom.