temporary loss of brain function: I thought my little brother had posted something about his wife..... my bad.
BLONDIE
This is a pattern created by Jay Paulson for fishing Rocky Ford, Dry Falls and Lenore. He told me that one day while fishing from his float tube at Dry Falls he noticed a hatch of damselflies that were more of a greenish-blonde than the common olive color. As a result, he came up with a pattern that is tied with light colors and it worked. He named it Blondie.
I used it for The Fly Wrap Up in the Jan-Feb 1996 issue of Western Flyfishing.
Blondie:
![Blue Sky Line Feather Twig]()
Materials:
Hook: TMC 5263 or similar 3X long, TDE, nymph hook sizes 10-12
Thread: Olive
Tail: Tan blood quill marabou
Rib: Fine gold wire
Body: Tan fur dubbing
Shellback: Light green or olive Swiss Straw
Eyes: Dark brown or black section of Larva Lace or similar tubing
Tying notes:
You can use plastic or metal dumbbell eyes instead of the tubing but you can cut the tubing to size unlike the pre-made dumbbell versions. Besides, back when Jay created the pattern there was no such thing as pre-made plastic or metal damselfly nymph eyes
The tricky part of the pattern is tying the thorax and eyes. It is a two step process and you must allow for attaching the tubing without crowding the hook eye. The shellback is pulled forward once over the dubbing and secured, then again once you've tied in the tube and added a tad more dubbing. The video shows the process... which can be paused at specific steps as desired.
I used it for The Fly Wrap Up in the Jan-Feb 1996 issue of Western Flyfishing.
Blondie:
Materials:
Hook: TMC 5263 or similar 3X long, TDE, nymph hook sizes 10-12
Thread: Olive
Tail: Tan blood quill marabou
Rib: Fine gold wire
Body: Tan fur dubbing
Shellback: Light green or olive Swiss Straw
Eyes: Dark brown or black section of Larva Lace or similar tubing
Tying notes:
You can use plastic or metal dumbbell eyes instead of the tubing but you can cut the tubing to size unlike the pre-made dumbbell versions. Besides, back when Jay created the pattern there was no such thing as pre-made plastic or metal damselfly nymph eyes
The tricky part of the pattern is tying the thorax and eyes. It is a two step process and you must allow for attaching the tubing without crowding the hook eye. The shellback is pulled forward once over the dubbing and secured, then again once you've tied in the tube and added a tad more dubbing. The video shows the process... which can be paused at specific steps as desired.
1 - 6 of 6 Posts
What hair I have left is mostly gray (or grey). I love the fly, btw. A couple years ago we were fishing in BC on a small lake. Keith was absolutely putting on a clinic. He was using a damsel unlike any in my boxes. Super skinny and light brown.
My wife also has blond hair but that isn't her natural color so she doesn't count.
1 - 6 of 6 Posts
