Fed’s Bead Head Poly Yarn Prince Nymph
The Bead Head Poly Yarn Prince Nymph Variant is a modern twist on one of the most reliable trout flies ever tied. While the classic Prince Nymph has earned legendary status, guides needed something quicker to tie and tougher on the water. This variant delivers exactly that: durability, speed, and the same fish-catching triggers that made the Prince famous.
Gretchen Beatty’s EZY Prince Nymph first paved the way by replacing fragile biots with Antron. Her version used brown Antron tails and white Antron wings for faster, tougher flies. Building on that idea, Fed’s Bead Head Poly Yarn Prince Nymph Variant substitutes amber Fly Tyers Dungeon Shuck Yarn for the tail and Poly Yarn for the wings. The result is a streamlined guide-style nymph that outlasts and, in many cases, outfishes the traditional Prince.
Tying Notes
- Measure the tail to the hook gap for proportion. Tie it long and trim down to size.
- Counter-wrap the copper wire over the peacock body for strength.
- Keep the wing about half the body length. If fish refuse, trim it shorter on the water.
- The brown hackle is tied as a collar and swept back for a soft, flowing look.
Why This Variant Works
The Bead Head Poly Yarn Prince Nymph Variant holds on to the Prince’s proven triggers: the glowing peacock body, the bright wing contrast, and the soft hackle collar. But by replacing biots and Antron with Shuck Yarn and Poly Yarn, the pattern avoids weak points. Tails no longer split, wings stay crisp, and the counter-ribbed body is nearly bombproof.
On the water, this fly fishes big and buggy. The amber tail stands out in off-coloured spring flows, while the bead gets the fly quickly into the strike zone. It’s exactly what guides want: a fly you can crank out by the dozen and trust all day long.
Materials
- Hook: 2x size 14 Nymph.
- Thread: Sheer 14/0 black.
- Tail: Fly Tyers Dungeon Shuck Yarn – Amber.
- Bead: Gold 3/32nd.
- Body: Three strands of peacock herl.
- Wing: 1/3rd of white Poly Yarn strip.
- Hackle: Hoffman light tan dun saddle.
Tying Instructions
- Slide the bead onto the hook and secure the thread behind it.
- Tie in a small clump of amber Shuck Yarn for the tail, measuring it to the hook gap.
- Bring the thread forward to the bead.
- Tie in peacock herl at the bead, wrap it back to the bend, then forward again to form a full, even body. Fill any gaps as you return.
- Take about one-third of a strand of white Poly Yarn and tie it on top of the hook shank for the wing. Trim to about half the body length.
- Tie in a Tan Dun hackle by the stem, make 4–5 wraps as a collar, and sweep fibres back.
- Secure the hackle, whip finish (or half hitch), and add a drop of head cement if desired.
