How to Tie Golden Stonefly Nymphs

The golden stonefly is an aquatic insect that thrives in cold, oxygenated waters. The insect is an important food source for trout and the nymphs are available as a year-round food source. Tying flies to imitate the nymphs requires a tail, abdomen and thorax. Weight is added to most golden stonefly nymphs to quickly sink the fly to the bottom. Golden stonefly patterns are abundant and the materials are easy to manipulate. Controlling the portions is the most difficult aspect of tying a golden stonefly nymph.

Things You'll Need

  • Standard nymph hook, size 6-14
  • Gold bead
  • Vise
  • 6/0 yellow thread
  • Gold goose biots
  • Turkey tail feather
  • Dubbing wax
  • Golden stonefly dubbing
  • Hungarian partridge feather
  • Instant glue
  • Scissors
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Instructions

    • 1

      Slide a gold bead over the hook's point and down the hook's shank to the end of the hook. Clamp the lower portion of the hook's bend in the vise. Start wrapping 6/0 yellow thread directly in front of the bead, and wrap it forward to the hook's bend.

    • 2

      Wrap the thread several times around the hook's bend to build a small thread ball. Select two golden goose biots and pull them off their stems. Hold the biots on the hook's bend with the tips extending over the bend. Use the thread ball to help separate the biots and make 10 thread wraps to secure them onto the hook. The thread ball maintains the separation of the biot tail.

    • 3

      Pull another goose biot off the stem and secure it to the hook's bend by wrapping the thread around the biot's tip five times. Wrap the thread two-thirds of the way down the hook's shank. Wrap the biot around the shank until you reach the thread. Make five thread wraps to secure the biot and cut away the excess biot base.

    • 4

      Cut a 1/4-inch section of turkey tail fibers. Place the fibers on the hook's shank with the tips extending towards the hook's bend. Make 10 thread wraps to secure the turkey tail onto the hook.

    • 5

      Place a streak of dubbing wax on the hook's shank. Grasp a bunch of golden stonefly dubbing and twist it between your fingers to spin the dubbing on the thread. Wrap the dubbing around the final third of the hook shank. Make a thick ball of drubbing to mimic the thorax of the fly. Stop when the thread is against the bead.

    • 6

      Pull the turkey fibers over the thorax to create a wing case. Make 10 thread wraps to secure the turkey fibers directly below the bead and cut off the extra length of fibers.

    • 7

      Select a Hungarian partridge feather and stroke the fibers in a downward motion to expose the tip of the feather. Cut the tip and return the fibers to the original position. The result is a wedge in the feather. Place the wedge in front of the bead and position the fibers on each side of the thorax. Make 10 thread wraps to secure the fibers as legs. Cut off the excess feather.

    • 8

      Dab a small drop of instant glue on the thread, directly in front of the bead. Allow the glue to dry and cut off the excess thread to complete the fly.