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Mini Leech Jig Damsel
Mini Leech Jig Damsel, Olive
Tying Instructions
Tying Instructions: Mayer’s Mini Leech Damsel
1. Attach the hook to the vise. Secure the thread behind the eye and wrap to the shank.
2. Place a mono dyd behind the eye of the hook and secure with figure 8 wraps.
3. Apply a whip finish behind the mono eyes and clip off the eccess thread.
4. Apply a drop of Superglue to the wraps and the figure eight wraps over the mono eyes.
5. Slip a slotted Tungsten bead to the hook with the slot opening facing the hook bend and place the bead just behind the mono eyes.
6. Secure the thread behind the bead and apply thread wraps behind the bead to jam it up against the eyes.
7. Wrap the thread back to the bend of the hook and fold a piece of Krystalflash around the thread. Secure the flash with a a couple of thread wraps at the bend of the hook.
8. Wrap the Krystalflash forward with touching wraps to the midpoint of the hook shank. Secure the flash with a few thread wraps and trim off the tag of the Krystalflash.
9. Remove the fur from the beginning of the strip, about 1/8″. Place the strip behind the bead with the fur facing the hook. Secure with thread wraps between the midpoint of the shank and the bead.
10. Turn the fly upside down. Cut a piece of Dura Skin that is just less than 1/4 inch wide. Snip a small point at the end of the strip. Secure this point just behind the bead and wrap to the midpoint of the shank..
11. Snip a point on a piece of pearl tinsel and secure the point just behind the bead. Secure this tinsel the same way, with thread wraps to the midpoint of the shank.
12. Place a Ostrich Herl by it’s base to the midpoint of the hook shank. Remove the fibers from the base of the quill for a clean secure wrap.
13. Wrap the herl forward 8-10 times to the base of the bead.
14. Secure the herl with a couple of tight wraps behind the bead. Trim off the tag end of the herl.
15. Bring the pearl tinsel over the ostrich fibers and secure the tinsel just behind the bead with a few wraps. Trim off the tag end of the tinsel.
16. Pull the Dura Skin over the eye of the hook.
17. Use your finger nail or the flat of your scissors to scrape the skin so the the hook eye emerges through the skin.
18. Turn the fly back around and place a few tight wraps behind the bead.
19. Whip finish behind the bead.
20. Trim off the tag end of the Dura Skin behind the whip finishes. The Ostrich fibers should be free behind the cut tag end.
21. Apply a drop of superglue to the thread wraps.
22. The finished Mini Leech Jig Damsel
| Materials
to Order Material, click the link |
|
|---|---|
| Hook | Fire 516 #16-18 |
| Thread | Uni-thread 8/0 Olive |
| Eyes | Olive Mono Eyes |
| Weight | 3/32 Mottled Tactical Slotted Tungsten Bead, Light Olive |
| Body | Peacock Green Krystal Flash |
| Thorax | Olive Ostrich Herl |
| Tail | Olive Pine Squirrel |
| Overbody | Pearl Tinsel and Olive Dura Skin |
Landon Mayer
Mini Leech Jig Damsel
Damsel Nymphs are important in Sierra waters starting in June and going through the summer months into September. They are an important part of the trout’s diet, particularly within stillwaters. The damsel nymphs hides within the weeds of shallow waters and need to crawl out of the shoreline to become adults. It is this migration that the trout are looking forward to.
Colors can vary, when swimming through the weedbeds the damsel nymphs are often olive but then they are found near the bottom of the lake, they are often brown or tan.
Landon Mayer comment
“When I decided to design a Damsel imitation, I started with the Mini Leech Jig which was already an imitation that I was using as a dropper in both rivers and stillwaters alike. The micro pine squirrel and the ostrich in damsel colors were a perfect representation that looks like the natural silhouette of a damsel. More importantly this fly displays horizontal in the water like a natural swimming damsel. This is the best of all worlds because now you’re matching the size, color, and most important, movement of the natural food supply.” (Landon Mayers)
Advantages of a Jig Style
Using a jig style pattern can be an advantage to the angler since it is less likely to adhere to the weedbeds. Landon likes to use a dry fly (ie Goddard Caddis) with the Mini Jig as a dropper. He will often fish this rig as a sight cast to feeding trout.
Retrieval Technique
Once the cast is made ahead of the trout, apply a 6 inch strip and pause to match the motion of the natural damsel and this movement provides a skating effect with the dry. The Mini Jig can be placed from 6 to 19 inches beneath the dry fly, depending upon the depth preferred, using fluorocarbon. Landon also likes to use a slow sink intermediate line if he is fishing the jig without a dropper. No leader is necessary since he attaches a 3′ section of fluorocarbon to the fly line with a micro swivel and another 3′ section of fluorocarbon to the jig fly. The micro-swivels are becoming very popular to eliminate line twist.
Variations
Mini Leech Jig Damsel, Tan
| Hook | Fire 516 #16-18 |
| Thread | Veevus 10/0, Lt Cahill |
| Eyes | Olive Mono Eyes |
| Weight | 3/32 Tungsten Slotted Bead, Gold |
| Body | Root Beer Krystal Flash |
| Thorax | Tan Ostrich Herl |
| Tail | Tan Micro Mink |
| Overbody | Pearl Tinsel and Tan Dura Skin |