The hope with these Fly Tying Video Features is to help you think of some different patterns to tie at the vice this winter. We’re featuring all different kinds of flies, with each post being a different category. This week we have stonefly nymphs!

Like all flies, stonefly nymphs fall somewhere on the spectrum of “Simple and Effective” to “Difficult and Effective.” We’re going to highlight some patterns from both ends of the spectrum, as well as ones that fall more in the middle. Feel free to adjust size and color to match different types of stonefly nymphs in the waters you fish!

Kaufmann’s Stone (Hammer Creek Fly Fishing)

This one is on the more “Detailed” spectrum, but it’s a proven pattern. I like the use of Thin Skin instead of goose or turkey feathers for the wing cases.

Pat’s Rubber Legs (Tightline Productions)

On the far end of the “Simple and effective” end of the spectrum we have this classic. It just plain works!

Brooks’ Stone (Lewistown Tribune)

Here’s one by Charlie Brooks that falls in the middle of the spectrum, slightly on the “Simple” side of things. One thing to note is that Brooks liked to tie his patterns “in the round,” imitating the insect when viewed from any angle by the fish.

Woven Stonefly Nymph (Hammer Creek Fly Fishing)

This might be the farthest end on the “Difficult” side. It’s a good view of how to tie a woven body, which makes for good segmentation. You can also vary the thread colors to get a two-toned effect.

20 Incher Stonefly Nymph (In the Riffle)

You can weight this one really heavily to get it down deep. Looks good, fairly simple to tie.