Damsel Fly Nymphs

Damsel Fly hatch 1990, Patty Barnes and a beautiful rainbow caught on a damsel fly nymph.

Damsel Flies are those delicate iridescent blue or red insects that you see flying around lakes and ponds. In the nymphal stage they range from olive to tan, are free swimming and often exposed to cruising trout. Bass and Pan Fish will also feed heavily on Damsel Fly nymphs. Damsel fly nymphs are strong swimmers. While swimming the body of the nymph undulates very much like a fish.

When hunting for food, nymphs usually swim in short erratic bursts at a slight upward angle and then slowly settle while they rest. This swimming motion is fairly violent, but only carries the nymph a few inches. This action is very noticeable and is a definite key. Your retrieve should duplicate this swimming movement. Most anglers retrieve their damsel

Patty nails another one at Crane Prairie.

nymphs to fast. Damsel nymphs can be productive as soon as the ice leaves your favorite lake. The smaller early season niads or immature nymphs are usually light olive green. Fishing a Bachmann's Green Damsel nymph very slowly, within inches of the bottom with a sinking fly line is often productive. Since the water can be cold this time of the year, the strikes can be very soft. The angler has to stay alert.

During May and early June the water starts to warm. Predacious damsel fly nymphs hunt vigorously in and around under water vegetation. They become a staple fish food. Fishing a Bachmann's Olive or Tan Damsel within inches of the weed tops can bring savage strikes. The fly must be fished slowly.
An intermediate or slow sinking fly line, such as the Mastery "Still Water" can aid this presentation.

Damsels are most vulnerable to trout during their migration to hatch on above-surface structure. (Such as this half submerged dead tree, at right. Every crack and groove is full of damsel nymph shucks.)

In lakes such a Crane Prairie, damsels can migrate in such masses that they can create nervous water like miniature moving shoals of fish.

The trout can become so gorged as to become very difficult to catch. The fish will key only on cripples. During these times try Barr's Damsel dressed with floatant and fish it like a dry fly, or a Bachmann's Damsel retrieved very slowly, just under the surface. Very long leaders with fluorocarbon tippets will get the most takes.

Thousands of Damsel Fly shucks fill the grooves in this weathered tree trunk.

Bachmann's Damsel Nymph, Green This is the early season pattern for many lakes. Fish this fly deep along the bottom. Give it several very short fast strips and then let it set for a long period. Often you will be surprised trout often take the fly while it is not moving and that you only feel them as you start the next stripping sequence.
Item	Description	Size	Price	To Top
9150-12	Bachmann's Damsel Nymph, Green	12	3 for $5.25
9150-12	Bachmann's Damsel Nymph, Green	14	3 for $5.25

Bachmann's Damsel Nymph, Olive As damsel fly nymphs mature, they turn darker and this is the average color lakes. The long, sparse marabou tail gives this fly a swimming action.
Item	Description	Size	Price	To Top
9230-10	Bachmann's Damsel Nymph, Olive	10	3 for $5.25
9230-12	Bachmann's Damsel Nymph, Olive	12	3 for $5.25

Bachmann's Damsel Nymph, Tan In some mud bottom lakes damsel nymphs are brownish colored. This is a top fly in many northwest reservoirs where water level fluctuations prevent plant life from growing in the littoral zone.
Item	Description	Size	Price	To Top
9235-12	Bachmann's Damsel Nymph, Tan	12	3 for $5.25
9235-14	Bachmann's Damsel Nymph, Tan	14	3 for $5.25

King Damsel, Olive This pattern comes from the vise of well known fly tier Mat King. It incorporates :Thin Skin, a very life-like synthetic material that gives his damsels a very attractive translucent look. This may be the single best damsel fly nymph pattern available.
Item	Description	Size	Price	To Top
01136-10	King Damsel, Olive	10	3 for $5.85
01136-12	King Damsel, Olive	12	3 for $5.85
01136-14	King Damsel, Olive	14	3 for $5.85

Ultra Damsel The Ultra Damsel uses Ultra Chenille as a body which makes it very durable and life like. This fly has fooled a lot of large trout.
Item	Description	Size	Price	To Top
9237-14	Ultra Damsel	14	3 for $5.25

Jim Schollmeyer has taken aquatic insect photography to a new level. You may review his work in "Hatch Guide for Lakes", which will acquaint you with all of the trout food critters that live in still water.

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Bachmann's Damsel, Green	King Damsel, Olive
Bachmann's Damsel, Olive
Bachmann's Damsel, Tan	Ultra Damsel