Clouser's Swimming Nymph- Carp Version
As stated in the Carpin' DVD that we did many years ago, the Clouser's Swimming nymph was always at the top of any list as far as "go-to" carp flies. Still is, and we have folks calling and stopping in all the time looking for them. They have become hard to find, especially with a bead, which we all know is very important to a carp angler as it causes a hook to ride up. A few years back I started playing around with the way I tied these and came up with this "Carp Version". I certainly hesitate to call this my own, as it is the exact recipe of the original, but I just tweaked a few things on the way that it is tied and am convinced that it is an improvement over the original, as a carp pattern.
The cool thing here is that you can play around with the bead and the colors on the flash, body and hackle to create a multitude of different variations....using the same template.
So here you have it...The Clouser's Swimming Nymph- Carp Version.
Brian Flechsig- August 2018
Clouser's Swimming Nymph- Recipe:
Hook: Tiemco 2302 #8 or #10- Click Here
Thread: UTC 70- Click Here
Bead: 5/32" Copper- Click Here
Weight: .020" Lead Wire- Click Here
Tail: Black Barred Gold Variant Rabbit Strip- Click Here
Flash 1: Krystal Flash- Orange Pearl- Click Here
Flash 2: Flahsabou- Copper- Click Here
Rib: Medium Gold Oval Tinsel- Click Here
Wing Case: Peacock Herl- Click Here
Legs/Hackle: Hen Back Feather- Click Here
1. Install the bead onto the hook and insert the hook into the vise. You can go ahead and start your thread as well as I like to have a thread base under the lead wraps so it's not as likely to spin on the hook.
2. Make 7 or 8 turns of lead wraps behind the bead and then wrap your thread through and build up "thread ramps" on either side of the lead.
3. Cut off a hunk of rabbit fur off of the Zonker strip and tie in the tail. I usually like the tail to be about the same length as the hook shank, as always. Wrap over the butts right up to where the lead starts so you now have a uniform underbody. Make sure to wrap back onto the bend of the hook so that the tail stands good and upright when this fly is at rest of the bottom of the stream.
4. Add in a few strands of Krystal Flash on each side of the tail as well as a few of Flashabou. You can add more or less if you like but I usually don't go much more than two strands each here. Carp typically don't like too much flash.
5. Tie in the Medium Gold Oval Tinsel at the "bend".
6. Dub a nice tapered abdomen with the Craw Dub and then spiral the Oval Tinsel through for the rib.
7. Now you will tie in a bunch of Peacock Herl to be used for the wing case. Lash it down all the way to the bead which helps create a larger underbody for the thorax. At this point, you can measure the length of the abdomen versus the thorax and make an adjustment if needed. I usually find myself wrapping back a bit so as to make the thorax a bit longer and thus more prominent.
8. Now you will tie in the Hen Back feather at the same point as the Peacock Herl. I do this by the TIP of the feather. Grab the very tip of the feather and stroke the main fibers back forming a nice little triangle that you can grab with the thread to tie in. Lay this little triangle under the hook shank and tie it in......like butter.
9. Dub your thorax with the Crawdub and wrap the Hen Back Feather forward. I usually get about 3-4 wraps with the feather and get into the fluffy filoplume a bit right behind the bead. Not a bad thing.
10. Fold the Hen Back back and out of the way, and bring the Peacock Herl over the top to form the wing case. Tie it off tight right behind the bead.
11. Make a few security wraps of thread behind the bead so the Hen Feather doesn't come loose. Then, finish with your favorite method....mine being my fingers.
Voila- you now have a carp version of the famous Clouser's Swimming Nymph!
Let us know how this works for you!
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