Prince Nymph

The Prince Nymph works in almost any nymphing presentation. As a dropper behind a dry fly, tie it 18-24 inches below a Stimulator or Chubby Chernobyl on 4X or 5X tippet. The bead head provides enough weight to sink into the fish zone without dragging the dry fly under. This combination is one of the most effective rigs on the Madison and Gallatin rivers.

Under an indicator, the Prince Nymph excels in riffles and medium-speed runs where trout are actively feeding. Dead-drift the fly through productive water, adjusting the indicator depth to keep the nymph bouncing along the bottom. In deeper runs, add a small split shot above the fly for additional depth.

The Prince Nymph can also be swung effectively on a tight line at the end of a dead drift. As the fly sweeps across the current, the peacock herl body catches light and the white biots pulse, a combination that triggers aggressive strikes from trout positioned in the lower portions of runs and at the heads of pools. This swing technique is particularly effective in the fall when brown trout become more aggressive.

The Prince Nymph was created by Doug Prince of Monterey, California, in the 1940s. Prince originally called the pattern the Brown Forked Tail, and it was a relatively simple design. Over the decades, the pattern was refined; the addition of the bead head in the 1990s was a game-changing modification that added weight and flash, making an already effective fly even more productive.

Doug Prince was a competitive fly fisherman who reportedly used the pattern to win numerous fishing contests in California. The fly gained widespread popularity as it migrated to western trout waters, where its versatility made it a staple of guide fly boxes from Colorado to Montana. Today, the bead head Prince Nymph is consistently ranked among the top five most popular nymph patterns in North America.