Favorite Attractor Nymphs

[Brute]

Hard to beat a bhgr hare's ear or a pheasant tail anywhere...but I'm partial to thread frenchie's...

 

[Flymph]

Evil Weevil, Peeping Caddis, and Bead Head Pheasant Tail unless a specific hatch demands a closer match.

 

[Cowlitz Bottomfeeder]

Most of my lake fish this year came on these two patterns, a pheasant tail nymph tied in the round on a 60 degree jig hook, and a Prince nymph also on a 60 degree jig hook with a collar of orange thread.

 

[Tom Butler]

Most of my lake fish this year came on these two patterns, a pheasant tail nymph tied in the round on a 60 degree jig hook, and a Prince nymph also on a 60 degree jig hook with a collar of orange thread.
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I think I might be the only person on this earth that CAN'T catch a fish on a PT nymph. Although my ties aren't as nice as yours.

 

[Cowlitz Bottomfeeder]

I think I might be the only person on this earth that CAN'T catch a fish on a PT nymph. Although my ties aren't as nice as yours.

Tom-
I thought you could catch a fish on anything! Just a few helpful tips: during a mayfly hatch in rivers, try a standard PT nymph with a floating line and leader just under the surface. Before the Callabaetis hatch in lakes, try the 60 degree jig hook PT but tie it in the round. Eliminate the wing case and legs. That way it appears the same to fish from any angle. Some feller who used to fish the Henry’s Fork advocated that with the Bitch Creek nymph. Good luck.

 

[rattlesnake]

Agree with prince, could get fancy and add rubber legs or cdc collar.

I’d add the original Walt’s worm or the oyster yarn version that fly fish food hyped. Especially if there are crane flies in that waterway system

 

[clarkman]

I kinda equate my attractor nymphs as my "tool" nymph....so for me, it's almost always something that looks like a Walt's Worm on a jig hook with tungsten, then whatever else I really want to fish off that (usually a PT or egg-if trout are keyed into salmon eggs). I catch a ton of fish on that simple tool fly.

 

[Pigs]

I kinda equate my attractor nymphs as my "tool" nymph....so for me, it's almost always something that looks like a Walt's Worm on a jig hook with tungsten, then whatever else I really want to fish off that (usually a PT or egg-if trout are keyed into salmon eggs). I catch a ton of fish on that simple tool fly.

This is my go-to nymph setup on the D. Fish eat a Walt’s with a crazy oversized tung bead all the time. It often will outfish any other fly I use. Another aha moment for me, in that most of the time, we don’t need fancy flies. Something buggy, flashy will get the job done more times then not.

I will add that on big, swift rivers like the D, the most important aspect may be weight. In fact, as time goes on, I’m more and more convinced of this. Gotta get into the strike zone fast, and live there. That’s why I tie a pile of “tool” flies with diff size, and color tung beads.

 

[Rye_Tyler]

Two different styles;
Rivers - Swing a BH Hare’s Ear Soft Hackle

Lakes- Dry line a black AP Nymph, let it sink then slow or fast retrieve with pauses.
California McCloud Bow’s hit it like a freight train.

 

[johan851]

Much as I try pheasant tails and prince nymphs they haven't become "confidence flies" for me. Hare's ear variants or Walt's tend to be my go to. And I don't think about all that time I spent aligning goose biots when I lose a Walt's.

 

[PurplePerdigon]

Definitely not a purple perdigon. Also, a variation of Lubos Roza's "Pink Pheasant Tail" has become my other go to confidence nymph when probing new waters.

Edit to add: Walt's worm is also a great choice. My standard nymph box consists of these 3 patterns across various sizes and colors (dubbing, beads, etc).