Question on an ISO Nymph

[RCFetter]

This is the same ISO nymph I posted before in the what are you tying today thread. I got it from this tightline video:

Isonychia Nymph

It's basically a PT Nymph but with very dark pheasant tail body and a thorax of reddish brown dubbing (there's another variation where both the body and thorax are red/brown dubbing).

This time I added legs using Indian Hen Back.

Should I fluff out the dubbing any more or less if it already has hen back legs?

Any other comments/critiques will be appreciated.

 

[redietz]

I guess it depends on how realistic and species specific you're really trying to be. You've tied a great looking fly that's got fish-getter written all over it.

But... if you look at pictures of iso nymphs from above, the profile is off. The naturals are wider at the tail than at the head. They also have prominent gills which make the rear look even wider and might be better imitated with some sort of ostrich herl or the like.

Will the fish care? Probably not.


Take a look at troutnut.com for some pictures of the naturals:

Like this one

And isos are strong swimmers, so anything you can do to simulate motion is a good thing.

 

[Cold]

Agreed with the above.

In any stream with Isos, I much prefer to fish the duns, but I have nymphed iso imitations, and for my use, a generic imitation is a zug bug or prince, about #12, and if I'm getting more iso-specific, I'll go with a more impressionistic pattern on a short egg hook with a tuft of rabbit fur to simulate the back half of the body undulating in the water.

Some iso nymphs also have a cream/white "racing stripe" down the length of their body on the top.

 

[RCFetter]

Thanks guys.

The naturals are wider at the tail than at the head. They also have prominent gills which make the rear look even wider and might be better imitated with some sort of ostrich herl or the like.

Stuff like this is what I need to know. In the video I followed the tyer does mention something like he likes to take shortcuts when tying.


Here's a pic from the other video I saw:

I know about the white stripe down the back. In one of the videos, it's mentioned that the ISO doesn't always have that.


I'll try to tie some more with a thicker body later today and post the pics.

 

[SBecker]

Paging Oldie But A Goodie Lefty..........



If I am fishing an iso nymph I usually fish it dry dropper style. So no bead or small bead. I have had the rod basically pulled out of my hand this past fall on the Lehigh with the below pattern dropped off a iso dun. They love it on the swing as well.

I also like to have gills in the rear.

Here is Dave's pattern I believe.

 

[GenCon]

SBecker wrote:
Paging Oldie But A Goodie Lefty..........



If I am fishing an iso nymph I usually fish it dry dropper style. So no bead or small bead. I have had the rod basically pulled out of my hand this past fall on the Lehigh with the below pattern dropped off a iso dun. They love it on the swing as well.

I also like to have gills in the rear.

Here is Dave's pattern I believe.

That is a great looking ISO pattern.

Bob I am not familiar with the pattern you tied. But you did a very good job with it.

GenCon

 

[OldLefty]

I'm here, Shane. Yeah, that's my pattern.

 

[RCFetter]

I attempted to make it fatter and used dubbing for body and thorax thinking the dubbing on the body will resemble gills but in the final analysis it's really a hare's ear with hen back legs.

 

[blueheron]

No need for a bead on an iso nymph, as Shane said. The added jigging action imparted with a tip heavy fly will detract from the action needed to replicate the motion of the actual bug. When they move, which they do frequently, they dart around like little missiles and the trout know this and will travel a ways to eat them. In this case , the presentation trumps the visual aspect of the fly since there is a certain urgency to the feeding pattern. Old Lefty's pattern is a sure winner , I tie it similarly with variations for different streams as iso's vary by location and water type.

 

[codym21]

becker or old lefty recipe for that iso pattern?

 

[Chaz]

Becker pattern is about right on, looks like it actually Old Lefty's tie.

 

[RCFetter]

This has been posted before but I thought I would add it to this thread. It's from TroutNut.Com:

 

[SBecker]

Chaz wrote:
Becker pattern is about right on, looks like it actually Old Lefty's tie.

Lol Chaz, if you read my post...it is Dave's tie.

 

[Chaz]

SBecker wrote:

Chaz wrote:
Becker pattern is about right on, looks like it actually Old Lefty's tie.

Lol Chaz, if you read my post...it is Dave's tie.

I saw that, I didn't use the english language correctly again. Duh!
How about the recipe?

 

[PhilC]

+1

Reci-PlEase

 

[OldLefty]

Shane posted so he can provide recipe.

 

[RCFetter]

Here's a recipe for something similar:

Isonychia / Slate Drake Nymph – Bill Shuck version
Here is Bill’s list of materials in order of tie-in::

Hook: Daiichi 1760, Size #10

Thread: Uni-Thread 6/0, black
Tail: Three natural grey ostrich herl strands, trimmed short

Rib: Pearsall's Gossamer silk thread, brown, doubled and twisted

Median stripe: Uni-Thread 6/0, white, doubled and twisted

Over Back: Medallion sheeting, dark dun

Abdomen: Blend of hare's fur, 50% claret/25% brown/25% black

Wing case: Black poly yarn, two strands
Thorax: Same dubbing as abdomen
Legs: Badger hen cape feather barbs

Link

 

[OldLefty]

Since Becker hasn't posted the recipe I'll provide it. Besides, it's getting close to the time we'll be seeing these critters.

Hook: 10 - 14 2XL nymph hook
Thread: black or brown 6/0 or 8/0 depending on preference
Tails: Three brown ostrich herl tips
Rib: dark brown sewing thread
Median Stripe: white sewing thread or light ginger hackle stem.
*Please note that many nymphs found in late season have no median stripe
Abdomen: blackish-brown to medium brown rabbit dubbing. I apply two layers of heavy dubbing tightly bound around the thread.
Wing Case: black poly yarn or black glo bug yarn
Legs: brown mottled hen back fibers
Thorax: same as abdomen

To suggest the gills there are two important factors to consider. By running a dubbing needle along the sides of the abdomen to remove material to suggest the gills the dubbing wraps must be very tight. Same goes for the rib thread. Once material has been pulled from the sides it must be trimmed to length. Don''t remove so much material that you can't see through it when you look at the fly from top or bottom.

**Note that the Bill Shuck pattern is a variation of Don Bastian's patterns which he indicates on his blog (check the link) is a variation of my pattern.