The Skip Nymph

 

The Skip Nymph is named after Skip Morris, a prolific tier and teacher. It imitates the nymph stage of the Callibaetis Nymph in lakes. It is easy to tie, which I read was Skips aim when he developed it.

 

May flies are not as prolific in lakes as they can be in streams, but they still should not be ignored. My favorite water has a consistent slow hatch from mid to late May right into August. I have had outstanding fishing with this nymph in June and July. Curiously this coincides with major fry hatches in the top layers of the water column. The small nymph swims much like the fry with short quick darting movement and I am hard pressed to tell them apart other than the fry are in schools and the nymph is usually solitary. This nymph is an excellent imitator of both and I am not sure whether the trout take it as a may fly nymph or fry, or if they even care.

 

I fish this fly on either a floating line or a very slow sinker, I tie it using a light hook so when I pause my retrieve it does not sink like a stone which would be very unnatural. Both the nymph and the fry are always found around weed beds I fish the fly right over or right next to the standing weeds. A finer tippet will not over power the fly and allow it to track in a straight line.

 

A materials list would include a Daiichi 1560 hook in size 12 to 16. Some fine rabbit dubbing in olive or brown shades and pheasant tail fibres. I use a Fine thread, Uni 8/0 in green or brown.

 

 

 

First step is to lay down a nice base and tie in the gold wire. Form a nice tight dubbing loop of the rabbit fur at the rear of the hook.

 

 

 

Trim the loose guard hairs from the body with scissors, we want a nice tight skinny body.

Measure about a dozen pheasant tail fibres, you want the tail to end up about a hook gap past the end of the fly.

 

 

 

Take a wrap of wire around the hook shank and then pull the pheasant fibres along the top of the fly. A nice tight wrap of wire should flair the tail nicely and then wind the wire foreword and tie of and helicopter free in front of the standing pheasant.

 

 



Lastly we tie the standing piece of pheasant back a little to create some room for the thorax. Then form another dubbing loop of the rabbit, make this one a little looser so that the thorax is a little larger than the body of the fly. Pull the pheasant over the thorax and tie down, clip off and whip finish. Final step is to thin out the tail with scissors, I cut about six of the centre fibres out leaving a nice split tail.

 

Try this fly in the weeds in the prime hatch season of June and July, remember to keep the retrieve to quick little bursts. I'm sure you will have success.