How to Tie a Woven Stone Fly

The woven stone fly is a durable fly-fishing nymph. The woven body requires coordination and precision wraps to successfully complete. The result is an advanced pattern on the abdomen that will not unravel after catching a fish. The fly colors are easily adjusted to match specific stone fly varieties, and the fly is compatible with beads and lead weight. Woven flies require practice to gain efficiency in the process. Tie the flies on stout leaders to prevent breaking the line and they will last for several fishing seasons.

Things You'll Need

  • Vise
  • Bead
  • 2XL nymph hook #4-10
  • 3/0 black thread
  • Black goose biots
  • Black chenille
  • Yellow chenille
  • Clear plastic wing case
  • Whip finish tool
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Instructions

    • 1

      Slip a bead over the hook point and slide it against the hook eye. Clamp the hook in a vise and start the thread immediately in front of the bead. Make consecutive thread wraps until you reach the hook bend.

    • 2

      Strip a pair of goose biots off a strand. Hold the biots together with the tips curving away from each other. Hold the biots on the hook bend to form a tail. Make six thread wraps to hold the tail in place.

    • 3

      Cut a 1-foot section of black chenille and a 1-foot section of yellow chenille. Hold one end of each piece on the bend and make 10 thread wraps to hold them on the hook. Wrap the thread two-thirds of the way up the hook shank and stop. Use a whip finish tool to tie a half hitch knot and cut the thread off the hook.

    • 4

      Pull both pieces of chenille beneath the hook shank. Tie a single overhand knot with the chenille but do not tighten it. Pull the knot to the hook eye and slip the eye through the contact point with the two pieces. The yellow is on top of the eye and black beneath the eye. Push the chenille to the hook bend and cinch the knot. Repeat the process until you reach the two-thirds point on the shank.

    • 5

      Start the thread at the bead and wrap it to the end point of the woven chenille body. Wrap the thread around the end of the chenille body 15 times to secure the body. Cut the extra chenille off the hook.

    • 6

      Cut a 1-quarter-inch-wide piece of plastic wing case material. Hold the plastic on the shank and make 10 thread wraps to hold it in place. Cut a 1-foot section of black chenille and tie it on the shank with an additional 10 thread wraps. Wrap the thread to the bead.

    • 7

      Wrap the chenille to the bead, forming a thorax with twice the diameter of the woven body. Secure the chenille at the bead with 10 thread wraps and cut off the excess. Pull the clear wing case over the chenille thorax and secure it at the bead with 10 thread wraps.

    • 8

      Use a whip finish tool to tie 10 half hitch knots against the bead. Cut the thread off the fly.