The Ascending Nymph - A Flymph?
The Flymph
We've something a little different for you this week, which is equally at home in both rivers and stillwaters - it's a Flymph. I came across the term 'flymph' when doing a bit of research on our Reverse Tied flies, and then a couple of days later it cropped up again on a Facebook post by a friend - who had tied some up and was having great success with them. So I contacted him to get the low-down on the pattern and what it is about them that makes them so successful. Thanks for the info and samples Philip - you're a star. If, like me, you'd never heard of such a fly before then Read on McDuff ...
I purchased a copy of the definitive text on the Flymph (The Art of Tying The Wet Fly and Fishing The Flymph; by J.E. Leisenring & V.S. Hidy, 1971). Within the book a Flymph is defined as:
"A wingless artificial fly with a soft, translucent body of fur or wool which blends with the undercolor of the tying silk when wet, utilizing soft hackle fibers easily activated by the currents to give the effect of an insect alive in the water, and strategically cast diagonally upstream or across for the trout to take just below or within a few inches of the surface film."
So essentially a flymph is a soft-hackled wet fly that is fished just under the surface - similar to what we know today as an emerger pattern.
It seems that the way these nymphs are tied (and fished) is the key to their success. They are tied with quite thick bodies and soft hackles (very different to the traditional spider patterns we now know as North Country Spiders).
They are then cast 'up and across' when on rivers (or around weed beds and any moving water on stillwaters), and allowed to sink a little. With their bodies being tied quite straggly (to trap air pockets) it can be difficult to sink them at first - that's where that bottle of Xink that you've never used before comes in handy!
By keeping in touch with the fly as it moves in the water column, you can detect takes immediately. You can also impart action on the flymph by slowly raising and lowering your rod tip whilst the flymph is in the water - similar to an 'induced take'.
Our Flymph Selection contains 4 each of the following patterns in size 14:
- Large Dark Olive Flymph
- Pale Evening Dun Flymph
- Light Hare Dun Flymph
- Good Luck Chuck Flymph
These flymphs are only available as a selection of 16 and are available now for only £20, including free delivery. We only have a few of these selections available, so if you would like one you will need to be quick!