In this video, Simon shows how to tie his “Ace” nymph. This fly Simon developed came out of slowly experimenting with a small jigged softhackle that not only works as a searching jigged nymph, but also one that could be swung like a traditional soft hackle. The flies design was sized down to fish tailwaters, the waters of Norcal, Smaller streams/low summer water locally, and the spring creeks of the Midwest’s Driftless area. This fly is a summer dream paired with a smaller #10-12 chubby or terrestrial. It certainly could be sized up, but this fly produces fish as a small mayfly or caddis pattern. Simon has had good luck with this fly for finicky browns, as well as selective tailwater rainbows. On his most recent trip up in Central WA, this fly produced several nice Westslopes. The fly has been tested and serves as a great general attractor. Its small size makes it a great searching fly even in places where the fish can be picky and key in on small flies. The starling collar on this fly really makes the difference and provides a lot of animation. Starling is a wonderful palmering feather; generally a starling skin has feathers pre sized 16-20 making it a phenomenal choice for small flies. Sometimes finding small partridge or grouse feathers can be a headache, this is where having a starling skin can be super helpful. The colors of this fly can certainly be tweaked and it could be sized up or down depending on your fishery.
