Marabou Damsel 

 

By Bob Morenski

 

One of the most important aquatic insects is the damsel fly. For both trout and warm water species, it is a staple food item in most bodies of water. While the damsel is available throughout the year, it really comes into its own during the month of June in our waters when the nymphs start making their hatching migrations to shore. When it occurs, will mostly be dependant on water temperatures. I have seen the migration delayed to mid-July in cold years both here in North Dakota and also in Manitoba.

 

Late autumn is another time of year when they become very important. As the weed beds start to deteriorate, damsel fly nymphs become increasingly vulnerable to predation. I remember years ago fishing on McGregor Dam in late October and catching rainbows that were just stuffed to the gills with young of the year damsel fly nymphs.

 

In September of 2006, I was fishing on Patterson Lake in Manitoba on what was a fairly slow day. It was very windy which limited my options on where I could fish. I had gone through my rotation of all the patterns that had been producing that week with limited success. Everyone else was having similar success. When this happens I go into play mode to try to find whatever the trout may be taking. I tied on a marabou damsel nymph and on the second cast, I had a hit. Three casts later, I connected with a 22 inch brown. Was this a fluke? I did not know. So I decided to stick with the damsel for a while to confirm its effectiveness. It took about twenty minutes but the wait was worth it when I tied into a 25 inch brown. One of the things that I am learning about the browns in Patterson is that they often out jump the rainbows. This fish gave an excellent account of himself. At one point, I stopped only a couple feet from a pocket of bullrushes. I lost about a 27 inch brown to bullrushes a couple days earlier and I breathed a big sigh of relief when I steered this big brown clear of them. After a fairly long battle, I finally slid the fish into the net.  I caught several more trout on the damsel that day but no more bruisers.

 

The following day, action once again slowed in the afternoon and once again, I started connecting with the damsel nymph. In fact, I stuck and landed a 24.5 inch rainbow in the exact same spot where I hooked the big brown the day before.

 

Damsels can come in a wide assortment of colors with olives and browns being the dominant colors. However, I have collected a black one on Gravel Lake in North Dakota and another at the Rendezvous in 2006, and also collected lime green specimens on Northgate Dam. So, it pays to carry a little color assortment. It is also not a bad idea to carry a small aquarium net with you to see what color nymphs are present in the waters that you fish.

 

This has been a good pattern for me over the years. I have been fishing it since about 1992. I recently added the legs which tend to add a little more realism to the fly. Here is how this pattern is tied:

 

Materials:

 

Hook: Size 10 or 12, 4X long

Eyes: Small Black Bead Chain

Rib: Fine copper or colored wire

Tail/Body: Marabou tips

Legs: “Damsel Legs” or Mini Centipede Legs, Brown or Olive depending on body color.

Wing Pad/Head: Marabou

 

Tying Instructions:

 

  1. Tie in the eyes and position them on the bottom side of the hook. If you can not use black bead chain, use silver bead chain. Prime it first and spray paint it with flat black. For smaller flies, use mono eyes. One advantage of using bead chain is that you can change the color. I normally do this with nail polish.

  2. Tie in the rib.

  3. For this fly, you want to use the stringiest marabou that you can find. I normally use an entire tip section. I use the end for the tail. Once I secure it, I twist the rest of the marabou and wrap it forward toward the eyes to form the body.

  4. Rib the fly.

  5.  Tie in the legs. Legs are actually an option. I sometimes use “Damsel Legs” which are sold by “Hareline Dubbin Inc.” These are rather expensive but they make neat looking legs. When I run out or want a little different look, I use mini “Centipede Legs.” These are a barred round rubber leg material which I use on a number of fly patterns. If I tie smaller flies, I omit the legs. Damsel fly nymphs hold their legs close to their bodies when they swim and therefore, they are not needed on smaller patterns.

  6. Tie in some marabou with the tips sticking out to form the wing pads and trim. Wrap over it a few times and back. Then twist the marabou and wrap it behind and around the eyes to form the head.

  7. Finish the head.

 

Author with a 25 inch brown trout that couldn't resist a Marabou Damsel Fly Nymph on Manitoba’s Patterson Lake.  (Photo by Rick Ellis)