Fly Tying Materials for Black Stonefly Nymphs
- HOOK – Use a hook size 16 to 8 Mustad 3906, B, wet nymph or sproat – 2x or 4x
- THREAD – Black 8/0 – 6/0 (depending on hook size)
- WEIGHTED – Optional
- TAIL – Two goose biots dyed black
- BODY – Black dubbing or Stonefly blend
- RIBBING – black v-rib or larva lace
- THORAX –Black dubbing or Stone fly blend
- WING CASE – Dark turkey, Goose Quill or flash wing material
- LEGS – Optional black hackle
- ANTENNA –Optional small black goose biot
Fly Tying Instructions for Black Stone Fly Patterns
- Wrap thread to rear of hook bend.
- Tie in goose biots, (tips pointing outward)
- Add weight (optional 0.15 lead)
- Tie in the V- rib, flat side down.
- Dub in a black or stone fly blend body (abdomen)** (Leaving enough room for the wing case and thorax.)
- Wrap V-rib over body in the opposite direction of dubbing and secure.** ( Rem. keep flat side of v-rib down)
- Tie in a dark turkey, goose quill or flash wing material.
- Dub in a black or Stonefly blend thorax.
- Pull wing case over thorax and secure.
** If you prefer a double wing repeat the last 2 steps of the instruction for the Black Stone Fly Nymph
** Rem. To shorten your body (abdomen) length to allow for the wing case
** Don’t crowd the eye !!!!
- Tie in legs on each side of hook optional. I use my dubbing needle to pick out some of the thorax dubbing on both sides.
- Tie in Antenna, Tips pointing forward of the eye.
- Build a neat head tapering from the thorax to the eye and tie off.
- If you have a dubbing brush, lightly brush your nymph and draw out some dubbing fibers.
- Like most Nymphs, The buggier it looks the better.
**Note: The stonefly tied for this article I used a double wing.
How to Fish the Black Stone Nymph?
Conditions
The traditional Stonefly nymph is a great early season, spring nymph. But don’t stop there. You can fish it all season long. Experiment with different colors and materials. Some fly tiers I know use a chartreuse abdomen and black thorax tied with crystal flash. This looks nothing like the traditional Stonefly and they hammer it.
Don’t Be Afraid
Nymphing is an art in itself and a great way to produce fish. Whether you’re high sticking pocket water, bouncing right along the bottom, dead drift or on the swing. It will produce fish. Don’t be afraid to add or take away weight.
A good friend of mine told me the difference between a good nymph fisherman and an excellent nymph fisherman is one split shot. Good words to live by! Don’t worry, whether you are a beginner tying your first fly or you are a seasoned pro, these nymph flies are proven to be successful at catching fish.
Nymph Fly Tying Patterns Are A Hit
You should be willing to experiment and try different tactics and make your own fly tying recipes. I’m sure you will find what they want or are looking for on any given day if you keep a black stone fly nymph in your fly box, and don’t forget to bring some for your friends.
Good luck this season everybody, and don’t forget to have fun!
Original Article By Brad Berlin
About The Author
Brad Berlin has been tying flies and fly fishing the streams of northeast and central Pennsylvania for over 30 years. He has guided on area streams and the Susquehanna River. Brad has taught classes in fly tying and casting and has served as president of the Columbia County Chapter of Trout Unlimited.
