Simple Stonefly Nymphs
By A.K. BEST

There is a great temptation to tie stonefly nymphs that are anatomically correct, right down to elbows and eyeballs. This is simply because the naturals are so big compared to most mayfly and caddis nymphs we normally tie. But when you fish your stonefly nymphs where and how you really should, you'll lose a lot of them. I decided years ago to apply the KISS (Keep It Simple, Stupid) principle to all my stoneflies, and can happily report that they work just as well as those works of art I used to tie, and I don't feel like shooting myself when I lose them in the rocks.

Following is the recipe I use for all my large black stonefly nymphs:

Hook: Mustad 79580 or equivalent, #2 to #8
Thread: Black Monocord
Tail: Pair of black goose biots
Body: Heavy black wool yarn
Rib: Black Swannundaze
Wing Pad: Black goose wing segment
Legs: Black hen back feather
Thorax: Dirty orange dubbing
Antennae: None

Before you begin, go to a knitting shop and buy a skein of the blackest heavy sweater yarn you can find. The best is about 1/4" in diameter and very fuzzy.

To tie:
1) Cover the hook shank with tying thread and lash a piece of .035" lead wire substitute to each side of the hook. Save space (abut a hook gap) in front of the bend and behind the eye. Coat with head cement.

2) Pinch off a small amount of wool yarn for a dubbing ball to separate the biot tails and dub it onto the thread.

3) Tie in a biot on each side of the dubbing ball, length equal to hook gap.

4) Twist the tapered end of the wool yarn and tie it in immediately in front of the dubbing ball, then tie in the ribbing.

5) Wrap the black yarn forward to create the body, and tie it off about 1/3 of the shank length behind the hook eye; trim excess.

6) Spiral-wrap the ribbing forward and tie off on top of the yarn abdomen; trim excess.

7) For the wing pad, tie in black goose segment (width of the hook gap) on top of the shoulder of the abdomen.

8) Tie in, at the tip, the black hen back feather, dull side up. The hackle fibers should be a little longer than the hook gap.

9) Make a dubbing loop, and spin a very fuzzy rope for the thorax; wrap the thorax about twice the diameter of the abdomen.

10) Fold the hen back feather forward, tie down and clip off butt.

11) Fold black goose forward, tie down and trim.

12) Whip-finish and apply a generous coating of cement to head and wing pad.
No elbows, no eyeballs, no antennae, no big deal when you lose one, but the trout really like them.

That’s it.—A.K.