Angry Prince

For me, winter is bead head season. I fish them other times of the year too, but they are absolutely necessary in winter on my streams. I have tried to fish kebari in winter but the fish are holding tightly to the bottom and kebari never take anything. Never.

Here's a jig style nymph I've been fishing lately. I call it the Angry Prince.

Hook: competition jig hook
Bead: slotted copper or gold tungsten bead, appropriate for hook size
Thread: fluorescent orange
Tail: red goose biots
Underbody: fluorescent orange thread
Overbody: red UTC vinyl rib, nymph
Gills: grey ostrich herl
Rib: copper or gold wire (match bead color)
Wing buds: white goose biots
Thorax: Ice Dub, peacock
Hot spot: fluorescent orange thread

Tying this fly is pretty straight forward. The only trick is the body. Use the orange thread to build up an underbody. Then, after tying in the tail biots, vinyl rib, wire and ostrich herl, wrap the red vinyl rib forward leaving a small space between each wrap -- don't wrap it too tightly. It is in this small space that first the ostrich herl, and then the wire is wrapped.  It makes a great looking affect, like insect gills. There is no hackle on this fly; the ostrich gills are the part that gives some movement. The orange underbody shows through the red vinyl rib making it "glow".