Our 'man in Bosnia' has been at it again - with some more very tempting nymphs - especially tied for success in the early part of the trout season.
We try to plan all of our fly selection at least 3 months in advance, when asked what we were planning for the start of the trout season, we wanted to do something a little different, so we asked him to surprise us and tie something which he would use himself, for trout in Bosnia.
His reply was "I will tie you some secret patterns, which are the first nymphs I try on any river" - which had us intrigued, as we had no photos to go on, so we trusted his judgement and said, "go for it". The first time we saw these was when they were delivered to us on Monday. We were impressed!
Check out these 'Bosnian Bad Boys':
- Cased Caddis - Size 14 Ahrex FW551 - weight 0.37g
- Pheasant Tail Wingcase Nymph - Size 14 Ahrex FW551 - weight 0.35g
- Pheasant Tail Nymph (Bosnian Style) - Size 14 Ahrex FW551 - weight 0.37g
- Bosnian Red-Tag Jig - Size 14 Ahrex FW551 - weight 0.35g
Our Secret Early Season Nymph Selection contains three of each of the above patterns - a total of 12 nymphs in the selection.
See below for more details on each of the nymphs included in this selection:
Cased Caddis
At the beginning of the season, we all just want to catch some fish, especially in the deep pockets and places where trout love to hide, so we decided to make our opening season nymphs heavier with 3.5 mm tungsten beads and size 14 Ahrex FW551 Mini Jig hooks. These hooks are wide-gape jig hooks, thicker wire and in combination with heavier tungsten beads they will get down to the fish no matter the flow or water height.
We know that caddis are gravel-based nymphs with their cases made up of river detritus until the period when they emerge into a pupa and ascend to the surface.
For imitating bodies he's used yellow thread with white GSP to secure everything. Using a special mixture of hare's ear and pine squirrel creates a natural coloured dubbing which is perfect for imitating cases. The finishing touches are small black drops of Raidzap Black for imitating eyes.
Pheasant Tail Wingcase Nymph
A Pheasant Tail Nymph in a size 14 with a little extra weight - can you imagine anything better when fishing in the early season?
This classic nymph (with a twist) is tied on an Ahrex FW551 Mini Jig hook in a size 14 - topped off with a 3.5mm Golden tungsten bead. Like all fly anglers, we know that there are times when the fish can be very picky - from body thickness, tungsten size, wire diameter and colours. That's the reason he decided to mix a little bit of everything into this selection of flies.
This PTN has a tail of Coq de Leon, the thread is black 16/0 and the body material is naturally coloured pheasant tail. For the ribbing he decided to use 0.8mm copper wire - it helps secure and protect the pheasant tail. This PTN variant is tied with an Orange wingcase, just like the natural insect, it's a mixture of hare's ear and pine squirrel, all covered with a clear coat of Raidzap Flex UV glue.
Pheasant Tail Nymph (Bosnian Style)
Is there anything to say about this nymph, that hasn't already been told?!?!
If you type "pheasant tail nymph" into your favourite search engine, you'll get a million different variations, types, sizes and colours. Every fisherman has their own way of tying it, this is my favourite way.
The hook I use more than others at the start of the season is a wide-gape Ahrex FW551 Mini Jig, topped off with a black 3.5mm tungsten bead and for the best tail movement ... a logical decision ... Coq de Leon! The pheasant tail is from a wild pheasant, ribbed with 0.8mm copper wire. The base thread is 16/0 black.
We need to add a little bit more .. legs ... Natural dubbing and an Orange hot spot to act as a trigger for even the most picky of fish.
Red-Tag Jig
Sometimes at the beginning of fly fishing season, the water levels are high and coloured, so the fish are selecting highly visible, flashy and provocative patterns. We have to try and offer them something a little different. This Red-Tag Jig is tied on a size 14 Ahrex FW551 Mini Jig hook, with a 3.5 mm silver tungsten bead - that's where the magic happens.
The Red-Tag is a famous nymph, and the inspiration for this nymph with its red flash-like butt, Coq de Leon tail and silver tinsel ribbing. On a base of black 16/0 thread he's added a mixture of dubbing for the legs and to aid movement. The last thing to do is to add a hot spot - my personal opinion is that a blue-purple mix is perfect for this style of nymph.
These secret early-season nymphs are all tied on Size 14 Ahrex FW551 Mini Jig hooks. Our Secret Bosnian Early Season Nymph Selection contains 12 nymphs (4 different colours, 3 of each in a size 14).
Please Remember: We've only 40 of these selections available, so if you want a set, you will need to be quick - Our Bosnian flies always sell out within a few hours of being released!