Attractor nymph box

Attractor nymphs are probably the most effective searching flies out there. 

They don’t imitate a particular insect, so you don’t need to worry about matching the hatch. Instead, through a combination of bright tags, flashy bodies or ribbing, and various hackles, attractor nymphs do a great job of suggesting life. That’s all a fish usually needs.

As long as it looks like it’s a life form, rather than a piece of trash rolling down the river bed, a fish will take it. After all, it usually doesn’t have that much time to decide whether or not it wants to eat the fly, and attractors simply look like they’re worth trying.

The flies featured in this box are some of my most effective attractor nymph patterns tied in sizes 12-18 with tungsten beads ranging from 4mm to 2.5mm in diameter. This sort of selection means that you will be able to cover most types of water effectively. 

2.5mm and 3mm beads are great for skinny water and picky fish, while 3.5mm and 4mm beads will let you get down into the deeper pools or keep contact with the flies in fast, turbulent water.