Prince Nymph 12/06/2019 Photo Album
A material table for the prince nymph is available on my 12/03/2011 post on this blog. The prince nymph enjoyed a resurgence in my fly box during the past two seasons, and a main reason is the success it delivered during green drake hatches. Apparently a size 12 peacock imitation is a close approximation of the nymph stage of the large western green drake mayflies. Check out my South Boulder Creek 08/15/2019 post for an example of prince nymph productivity in advance of a green drake hatch.
As Good as It Gets
The other prime situation that creates prince nymph success is the egg laying stage of a grannom hatch. A size 14 prince tied on a curved scud hook historically delivered superior results on the Arkansas River and other western streams during the April and May caddis event. My post of 11/17/2018 does a nice job of describing these prince nymph applications, and it also describes some improvements that I introduced to my tying technique. Mounting the white horns with the points of the biots extending beyond the eye of the hook and then bending back to lock them down has dramatically improved the durability of my prince nymphs, particularly the larger sizes.
Horns
The new found effectiveness of the size twelve prince nymph resulted in some depletion of my inventory, so I tied four new models to elevate my count to ten. In addition I manufactured four size 14’s and refurbished a pair of size 16’s. I am confident that my supply will be adequate for the 2020 fly fishing season.
Completed Batch
Thanks for posting all of your favorite flys! It was fun reading your bog this year. Thanks for taking the time to write about your fishing trips. Maybe next year my health will have improved enough to get out and try some of your favorite spots. And if I can get back to tying, I’m have all the right ammo!! Cheers, and Merry Christmas Dave!!
SIncerely,
Dave Henderson
Thanks Dave. Your words are too kind. I will continue posting my flies as I complete them and refill my fly box. Hopefully your health cooperates, and you enjoy many glorious days on the stream in 2020.