Howells Mayfly Nymph

A place to discuss the collecting and tying of classic flies, the tyers who made them famous, the tools, materials and techniques they used as well as the waters they were designed for. While classic is generally used to describe old things, classic is also used in the sense of first class or in the highest form. Therefore a fully dressed Salmon Fly, or a Carrie Stevens Streamer are just as much classics as a Chernobyl Ant would be. Enjoy the forum.

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RymanType
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Location: East

Howells Mayfly Nymph

#1

Post by RymanType »

Reading Howells biography and thoroughly enjoying it.
Does anyone tie or have images of Howells Mayfly Nymph?

Booman2
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Re: Howells Mayfly Nymph

#2

Post by Booman2 »

Gary had quite a few nymphs of his own design, from guiding in Wyoming, fishing Henry's Fork and spending his summers in Twin Bridges. Sadly, I sold my collection of his flies but think I may have his little book of patterns.
Stay tuned, I will start looking tomorrow.

PYochim
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Re: Howells Mayfly Nymph

#3

Post by PYochim »

Booman2,

Thanks. I'm looking forward to seeing these.

afried
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Re: Howells Mayfly Nymph

#4

Post by afried »

Popular Fly Patterns (1977) by Hellekson at p. 90 has a sketch and description of Howell's May Fly Nymph, Blue Dun. Kaufmann's American Nymph Fly Tying Manual (1975) at p. 85 gives a pattern description of the Mayfly Nymph and the color plates show the fly in ginger and dun colorations.

16pmd
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Re: Howells Mayfly Nymph

#5

Post by 16pmd »

The photos from those books show a fly that used to be called a Howells Midge Nymph. It could be that it was also used as a mayfly nymph in larger sizes, but it used to appear in old Dan Bailey catalogs as a midge nymph and was also sold in the SF Winston shop as a midge emerger in sizes around #20. The skinny body and overall appearance is also a lot closer to an emerging midge than a mayfly nymph.

Booman2
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Re: Howells Mayfly Nymph

#6

Post by Booman2 »

I failed to locate Gary's little booklet of his patterns but am almost positive I donated it to University of Montana "Bud Lilly Collection." Hopefully they can retrieve it.

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Rio Grand King
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Re: Howells Mayfly Nymph

#7

Post by Rio Grand King »

Here's a picture of one that I purchased from Buz's in the 70's. Note that the hackle is dyed. In those days no one would waste a natural dun on a nymph.
Image
“The things that I loved were very frail. Very fragile. I didn't know that. I thought they were indestructible. They weren't.”
― Cormac McCarthy, The Sunset Limited

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BigTJ
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Re: Howells Mayfly Nymph

#8

Post by BigTJ »

Looks like a great drowned spinner pattern that would absolutely cream them when run off the back of a dry fly.

RymanType
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Re: Howells Mayfly Nymph

#9

Post by RymanType »

Booman2, thanks for searching for your book. Would have enjoyed seeing your Howells fly collection.

Rio King, thanks for sharing the image. Interesting fact regarding the dyed Dun hackle for use on nymphs.

16pmd & afried, would like to see the midge nymphs as I do not have the 2 books referenced

afried
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Re: Howells Mayfly Nymph

#10

Post by afried »

Check your pms.

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Norm Frechette
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Re: Howells Mayfly Nymph

#11

Post by Norm Frechette »

Image

Image

Howell May Fly Nymph, Blue Dun

Hook - Mustad 3906, size 14-16
Thread - Gray
Tail - Blue dun hackle fibers
*Ribbing - Gold wire
Body - Dark peacock quill
Thorax - Blue dun hackle wrapped closely and clipped to form a rounded thorax.
Leave a few hackle fibers extending out from each side for legs

*The recipe does not indicate a wire rib but the illustration shows it.

Note: This style of nymph can be tied in as many colors as there are shades of hackles.

Popular Fly Patterns - Terry Hellekson

RymanType
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Re: Howells Mayfly Nymph

#12

Post by RymanType »

Thanks for sharing Norm. Great looking fly
I am always on the search for “old and forgotten” about patterns that I’m sure were effective just not found in shops or used today.

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Rio Grand King
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Re: Howells Mayfly Nymph

#13

Post by Rio Grand King »

It IS fun recollecting (and fishing) the old patterns.
Earlier this year I wrote about fishing a simple caddis pattern that used to be effective a half-century ago on the Firehole again this year for nostalgia reasons. It was correctly identified by the sharp folk on this board as a Wingless Wickham's Special. It and my namesake Rio Grande King pattern did quite well on the opener there.

In the afternoon a short flurry of mayflies came off. To match them I used a refined version of an old Howell's I used in the days for that hatch:
Hook #14 Daiichi 1480, limerick bend, straight-eye, 1X-fine wire, 2X-short hook
Tails- Olive hackle
Body-D’s Flys PMD porcupine quill
Thorax- Whiting pale dun hackle clipped ala Howell's

The fly caught at least one fish, but it was primarily a caddis day.
“The things that I loved were very frail. Very fragile. I didn't know that. I thought they were indestructible. They weren't.”
― Cormac McCarthy, The Sunset Limited

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