Advanced Fly Tying: Black Stonefly Nymph

Black Stonefly Nymph

At our advanced fly tying gathering, on Wednesday, April 16, at 7:00 p.m., Martyn Holland will lead us in tying a black stonefly nymph. 

The black stonefly nymph pattern is designed to imitate the nymphal stage of the stonefly, an aquatic insect found in clean, fast-flowing streams and rivers. Stoneflies are an important food source for many freshwater fish species, making the black stonefly nymph an effective and versatile fly for fly fishing.  They have two antennae and two tails, with six legs positioned towards the front of their bodies.

The black stonefly nymph should be fished 6-12 inches from the bottom of the stream/river bed mimicking its natural drift in the current. Accordingly, this will be a weighted fly (although it can be tied with a bead head). As illustrated above, stoneflies come in different colors depending on the river and time of year and are often seen in golden, white, or green as well as black and often without legs.

We will meet in Room 108 at Trinity Church. The club will provide all of the materials and hooks for anyone who attends in person. For those who prefer to join us via ZOOM, no problem. We will have a Zoom hook-up at the church for folks.

Interested? We would love for you to join us. Just let me (lbforte@verizon.net) or Don Fine (dfine1443@gmail.com) know.

— Larry Forte & Martyn Holland