Fig. 15. The Damsel Nymph has a body of dark grey wool with a back of dark brown or black lacquer. Wings, small red-brown wood duck breast feathers, feelers dark brown hackle, and a large black head.
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THE HELGRAMITE (SEE DIAGRAM 7)
The Helgramite Nymph, larva of the Dobson Fly, is such an excellent bass and trout food, that the making of this nymph deserves special mention. As my personal way of making this particular nymph differs considerably from those previously explained, I consider it advisable to go into further details concerning the construction of this pattern.
I personally like the winged style. That is, with small imitation wings and horns, or feelers. This represents the nymph in its final underwater stage, just before emerging from the water as the Dobson Fly. I find black skunk tail the most satisfactory material for the body of this nymph. Either light grey swan sides, or light grey pigeon breast feathers for the wing and legs.
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Diagram 7
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First wind the waxed tying silk up the shank of the hook beginning opposite the barb. Clip the fibers closely from a couple of hackle feathers. These are to form the horns. Bind these hackle quills to the top of the hook, so that the tip ends project about 1 1/2" in front of the eye. Take a bunch of black skunk tail about the size of a match and bind it to the top of the hook, with tip ends towards the eye of the hook as in Diagram 7, Fig. 1. Next fold the hair forward and bind down tightly as in Fig. 2. Again fold the hair back and tie down as in Fig. 3. Then again as in Fig. 4. Notice that each time the hair is folded back upon itself and tied down, that it forms a segment of the body, and that each segment increases in size, until your nymph looks like Fig. 5. At this stage turn the nymph over and tie a piece of light grey feather about 1/8" wide across the bottom, separate the fibers with the tying silk to form the legs. Now cut a small light grey pigeon feather with the centre quill, as dotted line in Fig. 6. Give this a coat of clear lacquer: when dry, tie flat, on the back of the nymph to form the first set of wings, as in Fig. 7. Cut another feather and treat the same way, tie these slightly forward of the first set of wings, and you have a Dobson Nymph that is very lifelike in appearance.