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grandriverbumm

First postable Hydropsyche nymph pattern

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I am hoping some practice with tying this up will improve the final product. I am using Bug Off UV cure resin to trap the color in/on Nymph Skin. Any advice people can provide to improve this I am all ears, feel free to say it looks good too lol.

post-5437-0-57981800-1409704890_thumb.jpg

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Good Veli Auti Legs, on the hydropsyche the sections of the leg are about equal in length, yours are similar so ++ there. Working with Nymph Skin is quite easy, but it takes a bit of getting used to. Don't be afraid to give it a really good stretch. You can sculpt the shape as you wind by adjusting the tension you hold it under as you wind. Flexible UV resin is Nymph Skin's best friend amongst the various resins available.

 

Most people who tie realistic flies use very fine thread, mostly, I think, in order to be able to hide turns easier. There are other methods as well. Whip finishing with dubbed thread is one. The best way not to have a turn of thread showing is simply not to make the turn. With practice you can minimise the turns you use. Try to start your nymph skin at the furthest point around the bend that your thread reaches. It may be hyper critical, but I don't like to see thread turns between body and tail.

 

Nymph Skin is quite a dense material, especially if you stretch it, you may find that you don't need to add as much weight in the under body to make it sink fast. If you are using lead wire try rolling it out on a hard surface with a round metal tool handle. Don't try to squash it flat in one go, make several passes to get it to thickness.

 

Something I have found myself doing more and more is going to Google and looking up pictures of the critter I am going to imitate. (Not other people's patterns). The best indication of proportion is to look at the natural.

 

Overall good first attempt. Practice will get you more used to Nymph Skin. When I first started using it I instinctively went for the narrow (3mm) one. As I have become more familiar with it I now use much more of the wide (4.5mm). Steve Thornton made himself a very useful chart when he started using it. He coloured every colour of Nymph Skin with each pen he had, and stuck the pieces to a card. Under each piece he wrote the details. I keep meaning to do the same.

 

Hope there is some help for you in my musings. If you are having any specific problems please feel free to ask?

 

Cheers,

C.

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