It's A 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.

Please Note: Flymphs are designed for both Rivers & Stillwaters - there's a section at the very end of this email detailing all you need to know about "Fishing a Flymph" and we've also included a section on a nymph which is really doing the business at the minute on rivers - The Spring Jig.

I came across the term 'flymph' when doing a bit of research on a pattern we have planned for Autumn this year, and then a couple of days later it cropped up again on a Facebook post by a friend - ii'm sure it's secretly listening to me - who had tied some up and was having great success with them on both rivers and in stillwaters. So I contacted him to get the low-down on the pattern and what it is about them that makes them so successful.

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 under-colour of the tying silk when wet, utilising soft hackle fibres 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 spider / soft-hackled wet fly that is fished just under the surface - similar to what we know today as an emerger pattern (or a Cruncher in stillwater circles).

As these are a pretty new to us pattern to us, I thought we would dip our toes in the water with the most popular design and get our Artisan fly tying masters to show us their interpretation.

Here is the final product - we've called it the Hare's Ear Flymph:

It seems that the way these nymphs are tied (and fished) is the key to their success. They are tied with quite thick bodies wrapped in flat tinsel and soft hackles (very different to traditional spider patterns).

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) 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'.

The flymph was created by James E. Leisenring and Pete Hidy in the 1930s and 1940s. Leisenring was a master fly tier from Pennsylvania who, along with his fishing companion Hidy, developed this style of fly to better imitate the vulnerable transition stage of aquatic insects.

They observed that trout often feed most aggressively on insects during their emergence phase - when insects are rising from the streambed toward the surface but haven't yet reached it. During this phase, the insects are particularly vulnerable as they shed their nymphal shucks and transform into adults.

The flymph was designed to have specific characteristics that differentiate it from standard wet flies or nymphs:

• Soft, mobile materials that pulse and move naturally in the water
• A translucent appearance that suggests the emerging insect
• Often tied with hackle fibers that suggest the forming wings of the adult fly
• Usually fished with a "swing" technique in the water column

These flymphs are tied on a Size 16 AHREX FW503 - the perfect size to imitate the majority of natural emerging insects.

They are now available in three forms:

• Individually - for £1.90; or
• Pack of 6 - for only £10.00; or
• Pack of 12 - for only £18.50

 

*** If these prove to be as successful as we expect, then we will have our guys tie them in lots of different pattern variations ***

The Spring Jig ...

From reports I'm getting back to Barbless Flies HQ, these Spring Jigs are really doing the business on the rivers at the moment - fill your boots:

The Spring Jig is a generic nymph, in that it represents many olive and caddis nymphs, and is often used as a searching pattern. Its shaggy appearance resembles many species of nymphs when they shed their skins or shucks as they progress into the next stage of their life.

These nymphs are tied on a Size 14 AHREX FW551 jig hook with a 2.5mm gunmetal tungsten bead.

They are now available in three forms:

• Individually - for £1.95; or
• Pack of 3 - for only £5.25; or
• Pack of 6 - for only £9.75

*** Fill Your Boots ***

Flymph fishing bridges the gap between nymph and dry fly techniques. These flies are designed to be fished in the water column — typically just below the surface — where they mimic emerging insects that are vulnerable and highly attractive to feeding trout. The soft hackles and natural materials create a lifelike presentation that can be deadly effective when fish are keyed in on emergers.

Here's a quick rundown on how to get the best from them in either Rivers or Stillwaters: 

Tackle and Leader Setup

Rod and Line Selection:

• Rivers: 8.5-9ft 4 or 5 weight rod with a medium-fast action works well
• Stillwaters: 9-10ft 5 or 6 weight rod offers better casting distance
• Line: Floating line for most situations; occasionally an intermediate sinking line for deeper stillwater presentations

Leader Setup:

• River Setup: 9 to 12ft tapered leader ending in 4X-5X tippet (5X for clearer water, 4X for slightly coloured conditions)
• Stillwater Setup: 12 to 15ft leader to allow the fly to sink naturally without line influence
• Tippet Material: Fluorocarbon for subsurface work provides less visibility and sinks better than monofilament

River Techniques

1. Upstream Cast and Swing
   • Cast upstream at a 45-degree angle
   • Allow the fly to sink slightly as it drifts downstream
   • Control slack line to maintain contact with the fly
   • As the fly passes your position, let it swing across the current
   • The take often comes at the beginning of the swing
2. Across and Down
   • Cast directly across or slightly downstream
   • Mend line as needed to control the drift
   • Let the fly swing through the target area
   • After the swing completes, let the fly hang for a moment before recasting
   • Vary the retrieval speed with small strips or twitches to imitate struggling emergers
3. Pocket Water Presentation
   • Cast to the head of small pockets where feeding fish hold
   • Use a shorter line for better control
   • Allow minimal drag-free drift before the swing begins
   • Watch for subtle takes as the fly drops into the pocket

Stillwater Techniques

1. Figure-of-8 Retrieve
   • Cast to likely feeding areas and let the fly sink to desired depth (count down)
   • Begin a slow figure-8 retrieve with your line hand
   • Vary the speed to find what triggers strikes
   • Incorporate occasional pauses to mimic struggling insects
2. Wind Drift Method
   • Position with the wind at your back
   • Cast and allow the wind to naturally move your fly across the water
   • Add minimal tension to your line to stay in contact
   • Subtle rod tip movements can impart lifelike action to the flymph
3. Static Presentation
   • Cast to a suspected feeding area and let the flymph sink
   • Keep a direct line to the fly but with minimal tension
   • Allow natural water movements to animate the fly
   • Watch for line movement indicating a take
   • Particularly effective during sparse hatches or when fish are rising subtly

The most important aspect of fishing a flymph is maintaining proper line control while allowing the fly to move naturally in the water. Because takes can be subtle, especially in stillwaters, staying alert and maintaining contact with your fly without creating unnatural movement is essential to success.

 

Tight lines & have a great weekend.