| Do you fish Mossy Creek? If you do you must have seen the blue tailed damsel flies that swarm the bank side vegetation. Damsels are similar to Dragonflies but have a thinner needlelike abdomen. There are more than 2,600 species of damselflies and many of them are an iridescent blue with diaphanous black wings as are those that call Mossy Creek home. These insects are predatory and during a hatch of trico’s or baetis can be observed darting out and snatching the little mayflies in midair. Damselflies are seldom available to trout; except during their nymphal stage. But some trout seem unconvinced of that and will leap high in the air at one flying by. They may sometimes catch one but I have never witnessed it although I have seen many failed attempts. But maybe some fish do catch them; trout are individuals and some may be better at damsel hunting than others.
With this in mind I set out to fashion a damsel imitation. When designing a fly three attributes must be kept in mind:
- It should be relatively easy to tie
- It should be durable
- It must catch fish.
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| After many attempts I finally came up with a pattern that meets all of the above criteria.
I call it the Disco Damsel. Fish really hit this fly hard and more often than not take it deep. If you fish this fly make sure that you mash down the barb.
I honestly believe the reason that trout slam this pattern so quickly and so hard is that although they always see these creatures in the air, tempting and perhaps frustrating them, they seldom, if ever, get a shot at the bug lying helpless in the water. That’s what I think anyway; but what do I know…no one has ever interviewed a trout.
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Every other damsel imitation that I have seen has a straight, stiff abdomen. Sure, that's what the naturals look like when seen perched or flying around. And those realistic imitations really look nice. But, though I have never witnessed a damsel in the water most mayfly spinners that trout eat, being dead or dying, have bent and twisted bodies. That's why this fly has a flexible not stiff abdomen; a damsel in distress. Is that why trout accept them so quickly and react so violently? Who knows? But they do.
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| Disco Damsel
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