Marabou Damsel Nymph – movement is the special trigger

Marabou Damsel Nymph

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Tying Instructions

1. Wrap leadfree wire around the front part of the hook shank. Keep a couple of eyewidths behind the eye free.

2. Attach the thread in front of the leadfree wire wraps and secure the wraps with the thread, bringing the thread down to the tail tie-in position.

3. Attach the copper wire ribbing with some thread wraps and attach a piece of marabou with the tail length being about one half the shank length. Leave the tag end of the marabou facing the eye.

4. Secure the marabou with thread wraps up to the leadfree wire wraps and trim off the tag end.

5. Attach another piece of marabou by the tip just above the wire wraps with the tag end extending towards the tail.

6. Secure the marabou with thread wraps down to the tail tie-in position and bring the thread back to just in front of the leadfree wire wraps.

7. Wrap the marabou forward up the front of the leadfree wire wraps and secure with thread wraps.

8. Trim off the tag end of the marabou and secure with some thread wraps. Wrap the copper ribbing forward with 5-6 evenly spaced wraps and secure behind the eye. Snap off the ribbing tag and secure with thread wraps.

9. Attach a third piece of marabou in front of the body with the fiber tips extending to the tail.

10. Trim off the tag end of the marabou and wrap with thread creating a small head. The marabou wing can be trimmed to about one half the shank length by pinching off with your fingers. Whip Finish.

Materials to Order Material, click the link
Hook	TMC 200R #8-12
Thread	Danville Olive 6/0
Head	Danville Olive 6/0
Weight	0.020 Leadfree wire
Body	Olive Marabou
Tail	Olive Marabou
Thorax	Olive Marabou
Wingcase	Olive Marabou
Ribbing	Copper wire

Randall Kaufmann

Marabou Damsel Nymph

Designed by Randall Kaufmann during the early 1980’s. Damsel nymphs are usually 1/2 to 1 inch long with a very streamlined body. They swim with a rhythmic wiggle, that ceases when the nymph needs to rest. During the resting cycle, the nymph slowly drifts downward.

Need for Movement

Randall noticed that most of the established damselfly nymph patterns at the time lacked the animation that he saw necessary to achieve the lifelike movement of the nymph within the water column. By incorporating Marabou for the tail, body, and wingcase, he succeeded in getting the animated movement of the fly. The colors of the marabou are also adaptable to the various colors that damsel nymphs acquire depending upon their environment. Most of these colors are olive, tan, and brown. An added benefit to this fly is that number of materials are kept to a minimum and it is easy to tie.

Variations

Some variations have been adapted to this pattern for specific locations around the Sierra. Notably, the Convict Damsel Nymph by Moose Patterson of Mammoth Lakes. Guide Tom Loe developed a nice variation with his Drifter’s Marabou Damsel Nymph and Emerger using a contrasting dubbed thorax and a sparse marabou abdomen. On the nymph, the marabou is secured to the top of the shank, ribbed with the thread to form a shellback, wingcase, and carapace. On the emerger, the tail and abdomen is secured to the the shank by a fine gold wire ribbing. The wing is a second piece of marabou that is secured over the dubbed thorax with the continuation of the gold wire ribbing. This provides a very durable tie down for the marabou wing.

Two other marabou damsels often used within the Sierra are the Damsel in Distress and the No Name Damsel. I don’t know who came up with these variations but the No Name is marketed by Umpqua Flies of Oregon.

Convict Damsel Nymph

Hook	TMC 200R #10-16
Thread	Danville Olive 6/0
Eyes	Small Black Chain bead
Body	Olive Marabou
Tail	Olive Marabou
Thorax	Olive Marabou
Wingcase	Peacock Herl
Ribbing	Small Oval Gold Tinsel

Drifter’s Damsel Nymph

Hook	TMC 3761 #12-16
Thread	Danville Olive 6/0
Eyes	Black Mono Eyes
Body	Olive Marabou
Tail	Olive Marabou
Thorax	PMD Superfine
Wingcase	Olive Marabou
Ribbing	Danville Olive 6/0

Drifter’s Damsel Emerger

Hook	TMC 3761 #12-16
Thread	Uni-thread Camel 8/0
Eyes	Black Mono Eyes
Body	Olive Brown Marabou
Tail	Olive Brown Marabou
Thorax	Caddis Green Haretron
Wing	Olive Brown Marabou
Ribbing	Small Gold Wire

Damsel in Distress

Hook	TMC 3761 #12-16
Thread	Danville Olive 6/0
Head	Olive Glass bead
Body	Dark Olive Simi Seal Dubbing
Tail	Olive Marabou
Thorax	Dark Olive Simi Seal Dubbing
Wingcase	Olive Marabou
Ribbing	Clear Vinyl Rib
Legs	Olive dyed Partridge

No Name Damsel

Hook	TMC 3761 #10-16
Thread	Uni-thread Tan 8/0
Eyes	Black Mono Eyes
Body	Olive Marabou
Tail	Olive Marabou and Brown Marabou
Thorax	BWO Superfine
Wingcase and Shellback	Brown Marabou
Ribbing	Small Gold Wire