Flash back nymphs have been around for a long time but they still work. In my view the only trick associated with this fly is to select an appropriate flash material for the flash back. I favour several strands of sparkle flash or similar material rather than a single strand of flat Lurex or tinsel. I tie black, brown and olive versions in a couple of sizes..
This as a good buggy looking fly that has the advantage of having its hot spot on each side of the fly. I like to fish it on my top dropper as an “anchor fly” with one or two lighter flies below.
Designed to imitate a caddis grub this fly has additional weight so that it can be fished bouncing along the bottom or close to the bottom. It is very easy to tie and whilst it is not tied to represent any particular caddis grub it has a form and function and of course the hot spot added by the collar which are attractive to fish.
I subscribe to a couple of British fly fishing magazines so its not surprising that I have been aware of “Mary” nymphs for quite a while. They are a recurring feature of many of the articles. I had tied and used them on and off for few years but they really didn’t come into their own until I became more proficient with short line nymphing and fishing faster rivers.
This generic representation of a caddis nymph tied on a Czech nymph type hook is one of my favourites. A good buggy looking fly that also has a subtle hot spot emerging wing of UV material. It’s such a good fly I carry it in a number of different colour options.
This is the lightest of my bead heads and has its place in both river and still water environments. In rivers they can be fished in the current with as little line drag as possible, can be retrieved at various speeds or can be fished on the drop or through the lift in slower water and pools. In still water that can be fished as an anchor fly in a team or alone. I tie this fly in a couple of sizes in black and olive versions.
