
TYING A BLACK NOSE DACE
The Eastern Blacknose Dace is easily recognized by its brown or olive back, the black lateral stripe, and the silvery-white below. Art Flick invented the Black Nose Dace Streamer to imitate this baitfish in 1947. Today, the fly is catching both trout and bass. The fly pattern is easy to tie, but the wing can be tricky. The trick is to keep it sparse.
Materials for Black Nose Dace Streamer
Part: | Materials: | Size/Color: |
Hook: | Akita | AK431 BL #8 |
Thread: | Veevus | 14/0 Black |
Tail: | Wool Thread | Red |
Body: | Tinsel | Medium Silver |
Rib: | UTC | Ultra Wire SM Silver |
Wing: | Deer Hair | White, Black, Brown |
Video Instructions on How to Tie a Black Nose Dace Streamer
Slideshow on How To Tie a Black Nose Dace Streamer
Step 1 – Make the Tail
Once you have set the hook in the jaw of your vise, you can start tying in your thread. You can tie in the red wool thread used for the tail when you have covered the head area. By doing this now, it is easier to create an even body, making it easier to make a nice body with the tinsel. Apply even turns until you reach the point where the hook starts to bend.
Step 2 – Create the Body
Tie in the silver wire, then the flat silver tinsel. The wire and tinsel should have a length of the hook shank. You can cut them off in the head area to avoid lumps and bumps. First, wrap the tinsel around the hook shank. Take your time and try to make overlapping turns. Tie it off at the head area. Then, wrap the wire in even turns. Again, finish it off at the head area. Now you can also trim of the excess tail materials. The tail should reach just a bit longer than then hook.
Step 3 – Tie in the Wing
The wing is built up using three different materials and can be tricky. Our How to Start Fly Tying guide mentions that it is crucial to avoid overdressing flies. Use only small amounts of the deer hair. First, take a small portion of white deer hair. You can use a hair stacker to line up the fibers. The wing should be a bit longer than the hook shank and reach behind the end of the tail. Tie in the white deer hair. Then, continue tying in a small portion of black deer hair. Complete the wing with the brown deer hair. Use a whip finish tool or a few half-hitches to secure the thread before applying a drop of varnish to complete the fly.
How to Fish the Black Nose Dace Streamer
You can use the Black Nose Dace streamer in lakes and running water. In rivers, you can use it for both upstream and across- or downstream fishing. If you are fishing across the stream or upstream, you should strip the fly line to give the fly some movement. You should also strip the fly line if you are fishing the fly in lakes. When stripping, you should also take som breaks, allowing the fly to sink.

