Flies

PRINCE  NYMPH

Origin

The origin of the “Prince” is widely credited to Doug Prince of Monterey, California but two brothers, Don and Dick Olson, of Bemidji,  Minnesota are reported by some to be the originators.  The original pattern was called the Forked Tail. Other flies tied by Doug are: Duster, Hellgrammite, Fire Fly, and Black Pig Nymph
If you ask ten fly fishers what the Prince Nymph imitates, you will get ten different answers. Most agree that it looks something like a stonefly larva, but it is also a very good imitation of a caddis nymph when tied in smaller sizes.
When an adult caddis swims below the surface to deposit her eggs, she transports a layer of air bubbles trapped by tiny hairs that cover its wings and uses those bubbles to drift slowly upward.  The white goose biots can simulate those air bubbles and the iridescent peacock herl is irresistible to trout.

Pattern

    • Hook     --  dry fly type, 2X long, sizes 10 - 14
    • Thread   --  black size 6/0
    • Tail        --  two dark brown goose biots
    • Body      --  peacock  herl
    • Rib         --  fine gold wire or flat mylar
    • Beard     --  natural red hackle feathers
    • Wing      --  two white goose biots

Tying Instructions:

  • Pinch down the barb of the hook
  • Wrap on a thread base on the entire hook and cement
  • Tie on the two brown biots at the bend of the hook and wrap with figure eights to keep them in a “V”
  • Tie on the fine gold wire, using the “L” method and fold the wire back and leave hanging to the rear to use later
  • Tie on two or three peacock herl at the bend of the hook and wrap around the hook to about the quarter point of the hook
  • Tie on the hackle feather and do one or two wraps and tie off
    Tie on the two white biots on the top of the fly and tie in a “V” like the tail
  • Wrap the thread in front of all the feathers to make a small head
  • Whip finish and cement
  • Note that a new option is to tie on a bead eye just behind the hook which is effective in helping the fly to sink

Flies  Imitated:  All most all types of nymphs.

How to fish: dead drift under a strike indicator or as a dropper under a dry fly with an amount of added weight to get the fly to the bottom

Gary Kutz, Golden State Flycasters, Sep. 2006