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Damsels in Distress
Written and Photographed by
Jason Borger
Damsels in distress may be the stuff of fairy tales, but
in real life, they're the stuff of spectacular fly
fishing. Anglers familiar with damselflies can
experience some of the best blind-casting nymph and dry
fly fishing of their lives, not to mention the
nerve-wracking sight-fishing opportunities. It is truly
one hatch not to be missed.
ENTOMOLOGY
Like the dragonflies, damsels belong to the order
Odonata ("one tooth," referring to their extendible,
toothed jaw), within which they are subordered into
Zygoptera ("yoke wing," referring to the narrowed wing
bases of the adults). While damsels can be found in the
slower-moving stretches of rivers, it is in stillwater
environments that they are truly abundant.
In addition to their large size (20-50mm), damsel nymphs
are easily recognized by their three paddle-shaped gills
at the tip of their long, thin abdomens. The rather
robust, but abbreviated thoracic region sports wing pads
and the typical six legs of an insect. In addition,
damsel nymphs have large, compound eyes. The nymphal
colors are species and water-shed variable, but
generally range from tan, to various shades of green, to
purplish-brown.
When the nymphs have matured, they migrate from their
weedy homes toward shore, swimming close to the surface.
This is primarily a mid- to late-morning activity.
Holding their legs out to the sides and wriggling their
bodies back and forth, they appear much like miniature,
slow-swimming minnows. Such enticing behavior is
absolutely irresistible to the fish.
If the nymphs make it to shore (or any other objects
like boulders, reeds, your waders, etc.) they'll crawl
out and slowly hatch in adults. Once the adult is free
of its nymphal fetters, it must again take time for its
body and wings to elongate and harden, and to assume its
final coloration. Damsels in this stage are normally
yellowish olive in color and are referred to as "tenerals."
And while they can fly within a few hours of emergence,
they are exceptionally clumsy, often being blown down
onto the water (where they may be washed under). The
tenerals eventually assume the standard bright color of
the adults that most fly fishers are familiar with.
Like the nymphs, the adults have long, slender abdomens
with short, relatively heavy thoraxes. Somewhat fitful
fliers, the adults prefer to be on the wing during
calmer, sunny periods.
After the adults mate, they fly in tandem just above the
water, where the female dips her abdomen, depositing
eggs on or over weeds. A few species will crawl
subsurface to lay eggs. When the wind gusts, the amorous
adults are often blown down onto or into the water. Much
like big mayfly spinners, water-mired damsels may
struggle weakly or not at all, lying with their wings in
a combination of outstretched and delta positions.
PATTERNS
Since the damsel emerger stage is essentially not
available to the fish, only the imitations of the nymph
and the adult (teneral and full-blown) are needed.
After years of month-long excursions to damsel-rich
waters with family and friends, a very effective nymphal
pattern was developed. The basic plan is simple: A LONG
tail of marabou fibers (long enough to imitate the
abdomen and tails), a short, thick thorax with hair
legs, and a wingcase/head formed from peacock herl. The
marabou waves and pulsates in the water like the
wiggling abdomen of the natural, the stiff hair legs ape
the profile of the natural's appendages properly, and
the wingcase and head of herl add iridescence and
enhanced silhouette to the fly.
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adult damsel imitation of choice is one that my
father, Gary, and his friend Bob Pelzl,
developed in 1985. It uses marker-dyed braided
monofilament for the abdomen and is based on a
pattern my father and Bob saw in New Zealand. In
addition, the fly (the Braided-Butt Damsel) uses
a watery-dun hackle tied 3/4-parachute style for
the wings. The thorax is formed from multi-ply
yarn. The yarn, when treated with floatant,
allows the fly to sit on the surface film. Left
untreated, the yarn soaks up water and allows
the fly to ride awash. When combined with split
shot or putty, the untreated fly can be fished
wet. Regardless of how it is fished, the fly is
exceptionally tough and has terrific overall
profile. More than a decade after its initial
development, the pattern has remained
essentially unchanged. |
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When I want to tie imitations specifically for fishing
awash or wet, I'll utilize a softer, "webby" hackle.
Such a modification allows the fly to sink better and
adds an enhanced sense of natural, water-washed motion.
TECHNIQUES AND TACTICS
For imitating the swimming motion of the damsel nymphs,
slow hand-twists, tiny, uneven strips, and long, smooth
pulls on the line all work. However, I consider the best
overall retrieve technique to be the Strip-Tease (see
"Techniques," FFA Sept/Oct 1997). With this retrieve,
the line is stripped one foot in three seconds as the
rod tip is wiggled ("teased") back and forth or up and
down a few inches. The fly is then allowed to rest for
three seconds before resuming the aforementioned active
motion. The whole process repeats for the duration of
the retrieve. This cyclical pulsing/resting action
causes the artificial to behave very much like the
natural.
To put that Strip-Tease to best use don't get into a
boat or tube and head for the middle of the lake.
Rather, concentrate your efforts on the outside and
inside of weed beds, the areas around structure,
pockets, inlets, and the open waters between weedbeds
and shore. A simple axiom to remember is that "fish
follow food." If the food is headed from the weeds to
shore, you can bet the fish are doing the same thing.
When blind casting to a very specific location, or
getting a fly in front of a rising fish, I'll use a
simple straight-line cast. Such a basic delivery can
also be used from a float tube or boat to fish the
entire length of a weed edge. Simply position yourself
at a weed edge and cast along its length. The retrieved
fly will be "in the zone" for the entire length of the
cast. On outer weed edges, fish may be intercepting
damsel nymphs that are rising from submerged vegetation
so it can pay to use a sinking line to keep the fly
deep.
If I'm wading or walking, I'll often use a reach mend to
lay the line along the edge of the weeds. The trick is
to stand so that you're quartering at the target, make
the cast, and then reach the line toward the weed edge.
The majority of the line will fall along the weeds, and
due to water tension, it will stay there as you
retrieve. It is a supremely effective tactic.
When it comes to blind-fishing the adult imitations, my
preferred method is the Heave and Leave. Just as the
name would suggest, the technique revolves around
casting the fly to likely or known feeding areas (the
same places as for fishing the nymphs) and letting it
sit. A twitch or two every fifteen to thirty seconds is
all that's needed. If you want to fish a sunken
imitation or just cannot stand to let a fly sit still,
use a very slow hand-twist retrieve.
For those who like their fishing a bit on the wild and
crazy side, blow-line fishing can be heart-stopping when
used with adult damsel imitations. Ten or so feet of
polypropylene yarn (or similar material) followed by a
two-foot chunk of 2X will do the trick. Hold the rod
high and allow the wind to catch the yarn and dance the
fly on or above the surface. You'll know if a fish
takes.
Blind-fishing to likely-looking water or rising fish is
exciting during the time of damsels, but it's really the
sight fishing that gets the palms sweating.
Of course you do need to be able to see the fish, and
while they can be very obvious at times, it's important
to know what visual cues to look for when they aren't
front and center. Don't try to find a whole fish, rather
look for the fish's shadow against the bottom, a
movement of a tail or fin, the opening and closing of a
fish's mouth, the movement of surface weeds as a fish
passes by, and the color of the fish's flank. Don't
stare into water, rather let your eyes scan and roam
from bottom to surface and from side to side.
The key to approaching fish that may literally be within
inches of the bank or weed edges is stealth. Keeping low
to minimize your profile, wearing duller colors, moving
smo-o-othly, making side-arm casts or such specialty
casts as the Bow-and-Arrow, and simply being patient are
all necessary elements of success.
EQUIPMENT
When blind-casting, or long-range sight fishing with
damsels, I prefer a fairly fast-actioned rod in a
nine-foot length for a four or five-weight line (usually
floating or intermediate). If I'm float tubing or wading
really deep, I may choose a ten-foot rod for added line
elevation and manipulation capability.
When close-range sight-fishing (especially on weed- or
tree-encrusted shorelines) I'll go for an eight or eight
and one-half foot rod, again with four- or five-weight
lines. Taking that foot or two from the rod length
allows for better maneuvering, yet doesn't cost too much
in the line manipulation department.
Leaders can be fairly simple. Four feet of .020", two
feet of .013", one foot of .010" (1X), and two feet of
.007" (4X) is a good place to start. I'd go shorter for
quick casts when sight fishing.
Although there are some spectacular damsel destinations
available, you likely don't need to travel far from home
to have some terrific fishing. Indeed, all you need to
do is find a few damsels in distress.
In the patterns below,
"BCS" refers to the Borger Color System
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DAMSEL ADULT
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DAMSEL ADULT
(TENERAL)
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DAMSEL NYMPH
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HOOK: Daiichi 1640, sizes
10-12
ABDOMEN: Braided
monofilament dyed with magic marker to match
body color and markings. Common colors are
bright blue (BCS 136), deep green (BCS 10),
and grayish-tan (BCS 104)
THORAX: Yarn or dubbing to
match body color.
POST: Yarn to match body
color.
HACKLE: Cock or hen hackle
in watery dun color (BCS 106).
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HOOK: Daiichi 1640, sizes
10-12
ABDOMEN: Braided
monofilament dyed with magic marker to match
body color. Common colors are pale olive to
mustard (BCS 37, 40, 55, 56, etc.)
THORAX: Yarn or dubbing to
match body color.
POST: Yarn to match body
color.
HACKLE: Cock or hen hackle
in watery dun color (BCS 106).
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HOOK: Daiichi 1640, sizes
10-14
ABDOMEN/GILLS: 10-14
Marabou fibers in olives, tans, or browns
(BCS 16, 20, 30, 55, 94, 101, 103, 112, 116,
etc.)
THORAX: Dubbed marabou
fibers, same color as abdomen. An under-rib
of wire can be added for weight/action
purposes.
LEGS: Natural or dyed
rabbit guard-hairs, spun in a dubbing loop.
WINGCASE/HEAD: Natural
peacock herl or Z-lon (in a color to match
body).
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