Fed’s Bead Head Soft Hackle Possum Nymph
Paul introduces Fed’s Bead Head Soft Hackle Possum Nymph, humorously admitting, “What does it represent? I have no idea,” and “I don’t know if this will even fish well!”
He combined ideas and materials that have been successful on other nymphs, and aimed to “Australianise” the fly with possum and wood duck. The materials include natural Australian possum for the tail, golden olive Australian possum for the body, and natural grey Australian wood duck for the hackle. This unique nymph is a creative blend of traditional and native elements.
Materials
- Hook: Size 10 nymph
- Thread: Black sheer 14/0
- Weight: 6 turns of .015 or .020 lead-free wire
- Bead: Copper
- Tail: Natural possum fur
- Rib: Semper Fli Glint nymph tinsel, olive. Fine copper wire.
- Body: Golden Olive possum fur
- Neck: Peacock herl
- Hackle: Natural grey Australian Wood Duck.
Tying Instructions
- Place beads and lead-free wire on your hooks, leaving a space behind the bead.
- Cover the wire and hook with thread.
- Cut a small bit of fur from the base of the possum pelt.
- Pull out all the soft light fibres.
- Tie in the tail.
- Tie in the copper wire and sparkle chenille – length of the hook.
- Touch dub the possum body.
- Reverse rib the body with the wire and chenille together – the tinsel for effect, the wire for strength.
- Rough up the body.
- Tie in and make a small peacock thorax.
- Select a wood duck feather, pull the fluff off.
- Using hackle pliers, isolate the tip and cut it off leaving a tie in tag.
- Tie in Wood Duck feather by the tip.
- Fold the feathers back along the stem and make three of four wraps.
- Hold the stem away from the head, tie off and trim.
- Whip finish and a drop of head cement or Sally Hansen’s.
- Use a Velcro strip and a hair drier to train the feathers back.
