FlyFysher / Pattern library / Marabou Damsel Written tying guide
Olive marabou · gold dumbbell eyes 5 numbered steps and a complete materials list for this dressing.
Read the tying steps Damselfly nymph / Pattern notes
Marabou Damsel A supple olive damselfly nymph with a marabou tail and body and weighted eyes.
The Marabou Damsel has a soft, mobile tail and body for a damselfly nymph silhouette. This is a specific olive dressing with weighted eyes, distinct from the existing Snowhite’s Damselfly Nymph page.
At the vise Intermediate
Common sizes #8–12 Materials Tying steps On the water Flies & tyers At your bench
The materials. Olive marabou · gold dumbbell eyes
Source-informed recipe; specialist review pending.
Hook Long-shank nymph hook, size 8–12
Thread Black, strong enough to bind eyes
Eyes Small gold dumbbell eyes
Tail and body Olive marabou
Tail flash Two strands of pearl flash
Finish Head cement Tools Vise Bobbin Scissors Whip-finishing tool A note on this version The source index lists one Marabou Damsel with no color. The referenced tyer also uses brown and black, which are color variants of this same construction.
From hook to fly
At the vise. 5 steps Work through the numbered steps in order, using the materials list and written proportions as your guide.
01
Set the eyes Clamp the hook and bind gold dumbbell eyes crosswise just behind the eye with firm figure-eight wraps.
02
Tie the marabou tail Run thread to the bend and secure a small olive marabou bunch. Pinch its tips to a mobile tail length and bind the butts along the shank.
03
Add flash Tie one fine flash strand on each side of the tail, keeping both just shorter than or level with the marabou tips.
04
Wind the body Tie in long marabou fibers by their tips at the bend, twist them gently, and wind an even olive body toward the dumbbell eyes.
05
Finish around the eyes Secure the marabou behind the eyes, draw a few soft fibers forward between them, whip finish a small head and clear the hook eye.
Beyond the bench
On the water. Work it slowly near weeds in lakes or quiet river margins. Short pulls followed by pauses let the marabou tail move.
Have this pattern tied for your water. No versions are listed yet. Choose a tyer and ask about your sizes, colors and materials. The tyer must confirm availability and send an offer.
Recipe references Original written instructions adapted from the sources below. Materials and methods may vary between versions.
