TYING A BEAD HEAD OLIVE TWINKLE NYMPH
The Bead Head Olive Twinkle is a beautiful imitation of the Damsel nymph I found on The Essential Fly website. The fly is an easy tie and does not require a lot of materials, making it a good pattern for beginners that want to learn how to tie flies. Tied in smaller versions, it could also be a good imitation of the blue winged olive nymph.
Materials for Bead Head Olive Twinkle
| Part: | Materials: | Size/Color: |
| Hook: | Akita | AK533BL #12 |
| Bead: | Tungsten | Gold 2.8 mm |
| Thread: | Textreme | Olive 6/0 |
| Tail: | Pheasant Tail | Green |
| Body: | UTC | Pearl Tinsel Medium |
| Rib: | UTC | Gold Wire SM |
| Thorax: | Ice Dub | Olive |
| Hackle: | Partridge | Olive |
Video Instructions on How to Tie a Bead Head Olive Twinkle
Slideshow on How To Tie a Bead Head Olive Twinkle
Step 1 – Tie in the Tail and Make the Body and Thorax
Start by putting the tungsten bead onto the hook. If you want a lighter nymph for the shallow waters, you can use a brass bead. Tie in your tying thread and cover the hook shank in even turns. Stop when you have reached the point where the hook’s bend begins. Tie in a few fibers of Pheasant tail dyed green. 3 to 5 fibers should be enough. Do not remove the excess fibers yet. You will use these to build up the body.
Tie in the gold rib, then tie in the pearl tinsel. Now you can make even thread wraps back to the thorax area of the fly. While moving the thread, you should also tie down the materials and build up some bulk for the body. Wrap the pearl tinsel around the hook shank to make the body. Secure the body with a few turns of the gold rib.
Make a dubbing noodle with the Ice Dub for the thorax. The thorax should have a length similar to 1.5 to 2x the gold bead. Also, remember to save some space where you can tie in the Partridge hackle feather.
Step 2 – Make the Hackle
Tie in the Partridge feather by the tip close to the bead. The shiny side should be facing you. These feathers are delicate and can easily break. So, take your time while making 1 to 2 full turns to create the hackle of the nymph. Complete the fly with a whip finish or a few half-hitches and some varnish.
How to Fish the Bead Head Olive Twinkle
Damsel nymphs move from the deeper parts of the lake into the shallows when they are about to hatch, so it is a good idea to fish from the shallow parts toward the deeper parts of the lake. The nymph is a poor swimmer and makes a lot of movement on its way to the area it wants to hatch. Make short strips, let the nymph sink for a bit, then make a new short strip.
