Legs on nymphs?

[1hook 0]

Just curious if you all prefer to actually tie legs of your nymphs or if you just use a spikey dubbing... Seems like dubbing gives the right impression, especially if fishing fast water. Maybe it makes more sense to go more realistic fishing slower water? What are your thoughts?

 

[1hook 0]

Sorry for crappy pictures!

[bellevue.chartreuse.trout 0]

the only thing that comes to mind is 'it all depends' - on what the fish are desiring at the time. I don't know that fish would reject a nymph with hackle legs if they were taking a more realistic 'legged' nymph. Same with the teased dubbing leg over the hackled or more realistic legged nymph. They might, and they might not.

 

Although your picture of the the hackle legged nymph is a little out of focus, I can see the legs fine and they look good to me - even though I am no expert on nymph legs. The teased dubbing nymph looks alright too. Maybe it could be teased out a little more but..... I'm sure it will work - right time - right place.

 

I wish I could get consistent hackled legs like the one you show on the first fly. Ah, if I'd tie them more often, perhaps I would get more consistent.

 

Bottom line - nice flies.

[netabrookie 0]

1hook, I used to always try to add legs to my nymphs but it started to get rather difficult trying to get them out of my nymph box because they were always crawling around and trying to get away. Sorry, I know that I have a weird sense of humor. All joking aside, the only nymphs that I actually put legs on are some stonefly nymphs. On the pheasant tail nymphs I always tie in the fibers for the wingcase with the tips extending in front of the hook eye so that I can fold them back to represent legs. With most of the other nymphs I just let the dubbing do it for me. A soft hackle in front of or through the dubbing also works.

[flytire 0]

i'll put legs on stoneflies but i just pick out the dubbing on mostly everything else

 

i guess its tyers preference

[Guest]

X2 with flytire

[mikechell 0]

Not only do you need to put legs on nymphs, and all other insect imitations, but you need to be sure you put them in the correct location. Since we all know fish can count, you must have the correct number, too.

Remember, fish are in SCHOOLS. They are smart and you must present imitations that are perfect, or you won't catch anything!!!

 

TIS FOLLY TO FISH WITH ANYTHING LESS THAN A PHOTO-REALISTIC FLY ... TIED ON AN INVISIBLE HOOK ... AND INVISIBLY SMALL DIAMETER TIPPET !!! WHAT ARE YOU .... OW! GET OFF ME !!! GET OF ....

 

 

Sorry ... one of the other voices tried to take control.

 

I prefer legs on my flies. I don't think the fish are so selective.

But I don't specifically tie nymphs.

[Crackaig 0]

When Frank Sawyer was asked about legs on his Pheasant Tail Nymph, he pointed out that the naturals hold their legs against their bodies when they swim. There is no point imitating them on the fly as you (or the fish) won't see them on the natural. The PTN represents nymphs in the "agile darter" class of nymphs. Most of the nymphs we tie are of this class (being roughly round in the body makes them the easiest to tie imitations of). For that reason I don't bother with legs on most nymphs. That is the ones I fish. If for a customer they get what they ask for.

 

Cheers,

C.

[1hook 0]

Good point crackaig

[Dubs 0]

I have heard that about the legs being tucked on naturals and it makes sense, but I have found that sometimes when trying to catch fish with flies, a perfect natural won't catch as many fish as something that catches a trout's eye as food. Legs of some sort might identify it as something other than pieces of leaves or wood in the drift. I think the same is true of a twinkle from a bead head, or a little sparkle signaling "life".

 

Take the prince nymph, a style of fly which I catch a large portion of fish on... what insect in the aquatic world lives as a nymph with two bright white wings neatly folded along its back? It would seem the removal of these unnatural wings should increase catch rates with a more realistic appearance, but my own experience confirmed the theory that those wings boost catches. Probably because it gets the attention of fish and looks buggy or food like.

 

Now tied or dubbed? For me, I favor dubbed on most of my smaller stuff, but sometimes I prefer the look of nice partridge legs. Like others say it might matter sometimes, but usually it won't be a big factor in catching fish or not.

[RickZieger 0]

Why not have a few tied each way and let he fish decide each day.

Have had the experience of a legged nymph catch fish one day and just a dubbed throax of the same pattern the next day

in the dame part of the same stream.

 

Rick

[JoeBillingsley 0]

In the last few years, on just about all of my mayfly nymphs, I'll split the tying thread and insert a few fibers of CDC and make a couple of wraps with it before tying the fly off. It's not as obvious as other feather fiber legs, but I think any little movement on a fly couldn't hurt.

 

Joe

[NohackleHS 0]

1hook,

I thought about posting this same question myself. Thus, I have thought a lot about this question. I must admit that I now tie legs on almost all of my mayfly nymphs. But, in thinking about it, I came up with different reasons why I add legs. For my home stream I tie on legs even though the mayfly nymphs I use are about size 18. My home stream has a very small gradient and, thus, most of the good fish are found in slow, deep channels and slow-moving pond-like sections. Thus, for this stream, I believe that the fish have plenty of time to examine the flies drifting by. I add legs to make the nymphs look more realistic. And, I must say that I have been very happy with my success on this stream.

 

One of my favorite lakes is a very clear, heavily fished lake. Since the lake is clear, I prefer to tie my Callibaetis nymphs with legs. Again, I think the legs add realism and since the lake is very clear, the fish have plenty of time to examine the fly.

 

One of my other favorite lakes is not as clear. However, the fish tend to be of good size. These bigger fish seem to be more selective than smaller fish. In fact, this lake is known for it's finicky fish. Thus, I add legs to the nymphs I use there.

 

The third lake I fish quite a bit is a huge, windy lake (Pyramid lake in Nevada). Although the fish are not known as being very selective, all of the mayfly nymphs that are sold by local fly shops have legs. Thus, by adding legs I'm just doing what the locals do. I might note that one of the more popular old patterns that has produced well at this lake is a rubber legs Prince nymph. Obviously, the rubber legs are not to make the nymph more realistic, but the movement of the legs may help trigger strikes. For this reason I tie my nymphs for Pyramid with legs that are a little longer than normal.

[mvendon 0]

When Frank Sawyer was asked about legs on his Pheasant Tail Nymph, he pointed out that the naturals hold their legs against their bodies when they swim. There is no point imitating them on the fly as you (or the fish) won't see them on the natural. The PTN represents nymphs in the "agile darter" class of nymphs. Most of the nymphs we tie are of this class (being roughly round in the body makes them the easiest to tie imitations of). For that reason I don't bother with legs on most nymphs. That is the ones I fish. If for a customer they get what they ask for.

 

Cheers,

C.

 

Here's a letter that Frank Sawyer, and later on after he died, his wife used to include with the nymphs that they tied and sold.

 

[Fotwin 0]

Do trout see and react to legs on nymphs.

 

My own experience is definitely yes.

 

The little attached nymph is one which is really attractive to the more aggressive male trout.

 

The tails , legs and eyes are:- individual ladies false eye lashes.

The body is made of fibres from ladies false hair pieces which have subtle colour blendings.

The body is finally finished off with two coats of Sally Hanson hard as nail varnish.

 

I call the fly a Shady Lady.

 

 

I know when the fish are playing hard to get , this is the little lady who pulls them in !

 

Tight lines