Fly Tying Tutorial of the Week – Thread Frenchie Stonefly Nymph

Posted on October 22nd, 2024 in Fly Tying Tutorials, Fly Tying Videos

The Thread Frenchie Stonefly Nymph is something of a specialty bug for fishing small, deep pieces of holding water surrounded by shallower areas. When you need to get a stonefly nymph down to the strike zone quickly in pocket water or small, deep slots, look to a Thread Frenchie Stone.

Here in Yellowstone Country, I like to fish this pattern in two particular use cases: I have clients fish the pattern under indicators when floating fast, turbulent water such as Yankee Jim Canyon, and I personally use it in a modified Euro-nymphing rig in when chasing fall-run brown trout or spring-run rainbows.

thread frenchie stonefly nymph pictured in fly tying vise over a blue background

When floating, I typically tie the pattern as pictured, but without the orange hot spot. I sometimes tie it with a black bead, as well. I’ll generally set the indicator rather shallow with this technique, say three or four feet deep. The goal is to get the pattern deeper than the standard dry-dropper combos I like to have clients fish in this water, while still keeping it up and out of the rocks. This technique is most effective on the Yellowstone in September and early October, though it can work on rough rivers like the Boulder during the early season.

On a Euro-rig, I usually fish the pattern on a 15.5-foot leader that’s basically five feet of hot orange Amnesia as leader butt, five feet of taper (including a sighter) from this heavy butt to the “pre-tippet,” four feet of 1X “pre-tippet,” a tippet ring, and 18 inches of 3X tippet. Unlike most Euro rigs, I like to tie this or another larger, heavier fly directly to the tippet, then run a foot-long dropper of 4X or 5X from the bend of the hook to an unweighted egg pattern. The stonefly therefore gets the egg down into the strike zone as well.

While this one is tied big, on a size-12 jig hook that really looks like about a size-8, this basic pattern scales down very well. It can easily be tied down to size-16 and perhaps smaller to match those Yellow Sallies and Winter Stones, or just as a changeup as an attractor nymph compared to a standard Thread Frenchie.

Thread Frenchie Stonefly Nymph – Recipe

A general recipe is provided first, with the precise recipe of the pictured fly afterward.

Hook: Standard or 2xl barbed jig nymph, #8–18. Here #12 Kumoto.

Bead: Slotted tungsten to match hook size and desired coloration. Here 5/32″ copper.

Weight (Optional): Lead or lead-free wire, here .025 lead.

Thread: 6/0 or 8/0 to match desired body color. Here, 6/0 camel Uni.

Tails: Barred Sexi-Floss or similar barred spandex, color of choice. On #8–12, use medium legs. On #12–14, use small. On #16–18, use mini. Here medium amber or golden yellow.

Abdomen: Tying thread in small sizes. Uni-Stretch or single-strand floss in larger sizes. Here camel Uni-Stretch.

Rib: Wire to match or contrast body. Use medium Ultra Wire in #8–12, brassie in #12–14, small in #14–16, and X-small in #16–18. Substitute Krystal Flash, midge Flash, Flashabou, etc. if desired. Here medium copper.

Body Coating: Loon UV Flow or similar runny UV resin.

Legs: Same as tails.

Thorax: Ice Dub or another “buggy” dubbing with a bit of flash. Here chocolate brown Ice Dub.

Hot Spot (Optional): Fluorescent fire orange 6/0 or 8/0 to match hook size. Here 6/0.

Tying Procedure

  1. Slide bead onto hook and affix in vise.
  2. Add weight over the forward 2/3 of the hook shank, if desired.
  3. Start thread and secure weight in place, if using, then spiral thread to the hook bend.
  4. Fold a strand of Sexi-Floss (or similar spandex) in half and secure Vee-style.
  5. Secure a strand of wire or other ribbing material up the hook shank on the near side of the hook shank forward about 2/3 of the way to the eye.
  6. Smooth out any obvious bumps in the thread underbody to begin the body taper.
  7. If using Uni Stretch, secure and clip tying thread and start Uni-Stretch at the forward end of the abdomen.
  8. Using thread or Uni-Stretch, create a smoothly-tapering body with several layers of material. Finish with a fairly thin body nonetheless.
  9. Spiral rib forward in 4–6 turns, secure, and remove excess.
  10. If using Uni Stretch, secure and clip.
  11. Coat abdomen with UV Flow or similar resin and cure. Restart tying thread if required.
  12. Secure a strand of Sexi-Floss on either side of the hook shank so that the rear half of each leg butts against the forward end of the abdomen and the forward half is slightly behind the bead.
  13. Dub a fuzzy but non-tapered thorax, beginning just ahead of the rear portions of the legs and finishing with 1–2 turns ahead of the forward legs.
  14. Secure and clip tying thread.
  15. If a hotspot is desired, start orange thread, then make a 4–5 turn whip finish and clip.
  16. Add super glue or head cement.

How-To Video

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