A week or so ago, I was talking with Aaron about the old standard, the Prince nymph. I commented that I didn't tie them very well, but wanted to learn how to do better. I carefully read the section in Craven's book, and learned a lot. These aren't perfect, and not as good as Nymphmeister Torrey's, but they are the best ones I ever made (and saved me about $30!). One thing I have learned is that when you tie with beads and lead wire, it really pays to vary the bead sizes and lead diameter carefully. Craven's book is worth buying just for the charts he has in this regard.
The recipe:
Hook: Size 12 TMC 5262
Bead: Tungsten 1/8in
Weight: lead or lead free wire: 0.020in
Body: 6 strands of fluffy peacock herl
Thread: UTC 70 threads, black for underbody, contrasting color for the collar
Tail: Brown goose biot: from the tip of the biot where they are finer
Wing: white goose biots from base of feather where they are thicker
Rib: Extra fine gold French tinsel
Collar: brown genetic hen (mine has a little barring in it, from the Brahma variety)
Hope you like these, I'm not too embarassed to show you!
The "standard" variety:
http://i164.photobucket.com/albums/u...e/IMG_0709.jpg
The gold bead variety with red collar:
http://i164.photobucket.com/albums/u...e/IMG_0711.jpg
and finally, my favorite new one for '09, a "lime" variety with fluoroscent green collar and peacock herl dyed bright green:
http://i164.photobucket.com/albums/u...e/IMG_0710.jpg
Perhaps you will tie some of these and find success in 2009. They are perfect as a mid-weight Euro anchor, and absolutely essential in CT, especially as the sky grows darker towards dusk. What do they imitate? Stoneflies? Maybe. Isonychia? Maybe. Fish-catchers? Yes!
As a bonus, I made of few these too:
http://i164.photobucket.com/albums/u...e/IMG_0712.jpg
and the Farmington killer sans bead:
http://i164.photobucket.com/albums/u...e/IMG_0713.jpg