Tight Lines Fly Fishing: Paul's October 2024 Bonus Fly of the Month

Bitch Creek Nymph

Hook: Size #6 4X long steamer hook.

Tying thread: Black, 6/0 or 140 Denier Thread.

Bead: Optional, color of choice.

Weight: .025 Lead or lead free wire.

Tail: Round White, Brown, Black or Orange Rubber Hackle.

Antenna: Round White, Brown, Black or Orange Rubber Hackle.

Abdomen: Woven Black & Yellow Chenille.

Throrax: Black Chenille.

Hackle: Grizzly, Brown or Black saddle hackle.

This nymph is a big piece of meat that represents Stone Flies. When trout hit it they clobber it! What’s also unique about this fly is that you weave the Abdomen with 2 colors of Chenille. The key to weaving this fly is to apply ‘equal’ pressure on the Black & Yellow Chenille to keep the Yellow on the bottom of the fly and the Black on the top of the fly.

To start this fly, de-barb your hook and place it in the vice. Take your lead wire and make touching wraps from the point of the hook shank to 2 ‘eye’ lengths behind the eye. You’re pretty much wrapping lead down most of the hook shank. When fishing this fly you want to make sure it gets down in the water column. The naturals crawl along the stream/riverbed.

Start your thread behind the eye and secure the front part of your lead wraps. Wrap over the lead and secure the rear portion of your lead wraps. Essentially, you’re creating thread damns behind both sides of the lead wraps. With the thread behind the eye of the hook, tie in 2 pieces of rubber hackle to represent the Antenna. They should extend beyond the eye approximately ¾’s length of the hook shank. Next bring your thread to the rear and tie in your 2 pieces of Tail. They should be the same length as the Antenna. Bring your thread to the middle of the hook shank and tie in your Black Chenille on the ‘far’ side of the hook. Wrap down to the bend to secure it on the hook. Bring your thread back up to the mid-point of the hook shank and repeat the process with your Yellow Chenille on the ‘near’ side of the hook.

Bring your thread up to the 2/3rds point of your hook shank. The length from the bend to the thread tie down point represents the length of your Abdomen. Begin weaving your Abdomen by taking your Black Chenille and placing it over the hook shank. Take your Yellow Chenille and place it under the hook shank then over the Black Chenille on the other side of the hook shank. Now place your Yellow Chenille under the hook shank, and the Black Chenille over the hook shank. Now place your Yellow Chenille over the Black and back under the hook shank. The key is to apply steady pressure to keep the Yellow Chenille on the bottom and the Black Chenille on top. Weave the body up to the thread ‘tie in’ point. Tie off both colors of Chenille on top of the hook shank. Now, only cut off the Yellow Chenille.

You are now going tie in your Brown Hackle for your legs. Size it so that the legs proportionately suit bb the size of the nymph. Tie it in by the base of the feather on top of the hook shank. Now wrap your Black Chenille forward and back creating a broader Thorax than your Abdomen. Tie it off an eye length behind the eye. Next, palmer your hackle forward making spiral wraps up the Thorax. Tie it off behind the eye. Cut off the butt end and finish the fly by creating a thread head behind the eye. Whip finish the fly and apply some head cement.