At well over an inch long, this is more an olive lure than a nymph and can be fished throughout the season. Fish it singly or as a point fly on both floating and intermediate lines. The added weight and bead-chain eyes give it enticing vertical movement when retrieved.
Material list for the Blue-flash Damsel
Hook: Size 8-10 wet-fly
Thread: Olive
Weight: Fine lead wire
Tail: Olive marabou and blue Krystal Flash
Body: Dubbed olive marabou
Rib: Blue Krystal Flash
Wing: Blue Krystal Flash
Eyes: Blue bead chain
Step 1. Fix the hook in the vice and run on the tying thread at the eye. Fix the bead-chain eyes in place with figure-of-eight thread turns.
Step 2. Take a length of fine lead wire and wind it along the shank in touching turns. Leave a small gap in front of the bend for the tail.
Step 3. Select a pinch of olive marabou at least twice the length of the hook shank and catch it in at the bend. Add a few strands of Krystal Flash.
Step 4. Secure the tail in place with further tight thread wraps then take a second bunch of the Krystal Flash and catch it in at the tail-base.
Step 5. Remove a pinch of soft fibres from the base of a marabou plume and dub it on to the thread. Wind the rope to form the body.
Step 6. Leave a small gap between the body and the eyes then twist the Krystal Flash to form a rope. Wind it in evenly-spaced turns.
Step 7. Once the rib has been applied, secure the loose end of the Krystal Flash. Unravel the strands and fold them back over the body.
Step 8. Secure the ends of the Krystal Flash in place then dub on a second smaller pinch of marabou. Wind it between the chain eyes.
Step 9. Cast off the tying thread at the eye with a whip finish then trim the folded ends of the Krystal Flash to various lengths.