Vickie’s All-Purpose Nymph

A perfect choice when trout are feeding near the surface

Gray callibaetis on surface

My All-Purpose Nymph has earned a place of honor in my fly box by consistently and successfully attracting the attention of feeding trout. The AP Nymph’s sleek and slender profile imitates the immature stage of a wide variety of aquatic insects including caddis pupae, callibaetis mayflies, and damselfly nymphs. Visibility is enhanced by UV materials integrated into the abdomen and tail.

Trout caught on a Gray All-Purpose Nymph during a callibaetis hatch

How to Fish:

When trout are feeding on aquatic insects in the top few feet, it is important to maintain the fly in the top few feet. Floating, hover, and slow intermediate sink tip lines all work. I prefer using a 7-foot intermediate sink tip line because it maintains the fly at the proper depth and generates less surface disturbance while trolling.

Trout caught with my Caddis Brown AP Nymph

Use a slow, 4 to 6-inch retrieve and incorporate 2-4 second pauses between each pull. Use a 10-12 foot total leader length with a fluorocarbon tippet. This is particularly important when fishing in clear water conditions since fluorocarbon tippet won’t reflect light and spook trout.

Be prepared with a variety of colors depending upon the hatch: gray for calliabaetis mayfly, brown for caddis, olive for damsels, and white for callibaetis spinners. In the spring I use a #10 hook. When the water warms from July through the fall I reduce the size of the hook to a #12.