Flies from Afghanistan Part 3

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Flies from Afghanistan Part 3


The Teeny Nymph:

Perhaps one of the most simple and durable patterns in my fly box is the Teeny Nymph. Pioneered by Jim Teeny of Gresham, OR., the Teeny Nymph combines easy to acquire materials with simplicity and durability. Mr. Teeny wanted to develop a fly for those very reasons and it has proven very effective in catching the anadromous fish of the west coast. In usual fashion, I figured that if this simple pattern caught fish out west why not in our neck of the woods?

I bought a few as examples and hit the vise. The fly is adaptable to many variations; adding tails, wings, flash, beads and tying it in various colors. The possibilities are limitless with this pattern. Although any wet fly hook could be used I really like the original hook. It is well made, has a great finish, is very strong and very sharp. You can purchase these hooks through Mr. Teeny’s website which I recommend you visit. I typically tie mine in a #6 and have found this size to be the most effective. Other successful variations I have incorporated into the fly is adding a few strands of Krystal Flash to the tail and heads of chartreuse and cerise. These have proven effective in most water conditions. Recently I have started to experiment with tungsten beads in various colors, “pink jawbreaker” being my favorite. Natural brown cock pheasant feathers make up the majority of my Teeny Nymphs with black being a close second.

 I fish these flies in a standard nymphing technique with split shot under an indicator, varying the depth depending on water conditions. The durability of the fly is great and I actually think that after a few fish have had their way with it the slight raggedness of the fly increases it’s effectiveness. One final note on composition, although tied on a heavy hook I do tend to add a few wraps of lead on the hook shank to help get it down.

Since most of the rivers in our area are smaller, finding great pocket water with nice holding lies is relatively easy and this water type is perfect for the Teeny Nymph. There have been a few fish that have absolutely crushed this fly with reckless abandon when water conditions are right while other fish have inhaled them slowly, like a spring creek brown. I never head out steelheading without a hearty supply of Teeny Nymphs.

The pattern:

Hook…… Wet/Nymph 2X long, size 6-16
Thread…. Black 6/0 or 8/0
Tail…….. Cock pheasant tail fibers
Body..….. Cock pheasant tail fibers
Legs.…… Cock pheasant tail fibers

There are many great videos online that describe the tying process for this fly and I recommend those.
Once you get the pattern down you can really knock out a bunch of these in short order. 

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