"Flymph--A wingless artificial fly with a soft, translucent body of fur or wool which blends with the undercolor of the tying silk when wet, utilizing soft hackle fibers easily activated by the currents to give the effect of an insect alive in the water, and strategically cast diagonally upstream or across for the trout to take just below or within a few inches of the surface film."

The text quoted above was taken from page 126 of The Art of Tying the Wet Fly & Fishing the Flymph written by James E. Leisenring and Vernon S. Hidy, and published in 1971. Leisenring was long passed-away at the time of this newer publication, when Hidy deemed it necessary to republish the original book with 3 additional new chapters dedicated to the flymph. Hidy was a student of Leisenring, the man who routinely communicated with the British soft hackle addict, G.E.M. Skues.

"Soft-hackled nymphs," "wingless wet flies," "tailed soft-hackles," "flymphs." Whatever you call them, these patterns wreak of life and are super attractive to fish of all species. Whether they indeed imitate the stage between a nymph and an adult fly as Hidy indicates in the book is questionable to this tyer and angler. I tend to feel that, like the woolybugger I recently discussed, these patterns catch fish because they indicate life in a very versatile manner.

I like to tie and fish all manners of soft hackled flies and I fish them in many ways from the classic down and across presentation of a cast of three for stream trout, to dropping them off a floating "washing line" rig when fishing stillwaters for rainbows. But perhaps my biggest niche for these flies lies in the depths of winter steelhead pools where I fish them as attractors under an indicator.

Shown below is the tying process I use, including the addition of a CDC underhackle and an angora "hot spot." Following the tutorial are a few variations that are worth a peek. In encourage tiers to get creative with this style of fly.

MATERIAL LIST (as shown)

Hook: Partridge GRS12ST

Thread: Light Olive

Tail: Olive Hungarian Partridge

Rib:Fine Copper Wire

Body: Olive Hare's Mask

Hackle: Olive Hungarian Partridge over Natural CDC

Debarb the hook and seat it properly in the vise jaws.

Start the thread with a jam knot behind the eye and cover the shank to a point above the barb, then return the thread to just behind the eye.

Select a natural CDC feather, remove the "fluff" form the base and separate the tip section by gently stroking back the bulk of the barbs. The barbs should be generously long compared to the hook shank.

Repeat with a dyed olive Hungarian Partridge feather. The barbs should be about as long as the hook shank.

With the tops of each feather facing down, lay the CDC feather on top of the soft hackle as shown.

Tie both feathers in as one just behind the eye as shown. When secured, the CDC should be on top and the top sides of each feather should be facing down.

Advance the thread to the rear. Select another feather form the olive partridge cape.

Separate a few barbs from one side of the feather.

Grasp the tips of the bundle from the top and bottom with your fingers. Grasp the tip of the feather by the tip with your other hand and rapidly snap the feather toward your chest to remove the barbs in a neat and even bundle.

Measure the barbs, from the tips, to be about equal to 1/2 the hook shank and secure them at the rear as shown.

Clip the excess.

Move the thread forward and catch in the ribbing wire, securing it to the far side of the hook.

Bind the wire to the rear, then advance the thread slightly forward.

Apply a very tacky dubbing wax to the thread. I prefer Loon's High Tack Swax.

Touch dub some olive hare's mask to the thread. The finished product should produce a spiky, yet sparse application of dubbing, where the thread is visible through the fur as shown. Give the thread a clockwise twist.

Advance the dubbing forward, ending at about the 1/4 mark of the hook shank.

Counter-rib the copper wire in open and even turns. The final turn should pass in front of the thread as shown...

Bring the wire up on the far side of the hook and pull it slightly to the rear as shown. From there, a SINGLE wrap of thread will secure the wire and minimize bulk.

Catch in the angora dubbing brush. You can also use chenille or another other colorful dubbing you desire to form the hot spot.

Make two wraps forward with the brush. Again, the final turn passes in front of the thread as shown.

Pull back slightly to the rear....

...and secure with one turn of thread.

Clip the excess.

Pick up the CDC feather and pass the thread just in front of it.

Make several turns with the CDC, making sure that the fibers do not become trapped against the body. Secure as with the wire and dubbing brush. Clip the excess.

Move the thread ahead of the partridge feather.

Make 2 turns with the soft hackle and secure as with the wire, brush and CDC.

Clip the excess.

The finished product after a neat whip finish. Notice the very small head--a trademark of a well-tied soft hackle fly.

Variation with a rusty hare's mask dubbing. Notice how much contrast (i.e. target) the hot spot provides.

Mottled Flymph variation with a flash ribbing, mon0 thread over rib for durability and without the CDC undercollar or hot spot. I used woodcock covert and red fox squirrel dubbing for this sample.

A beaded variation using natural hares mask and natural partridge.