A beadhead olive nymph example with a coq-de-Leon tail, tubing-and-wire abdomen and picked-out dubbing thorax.
The index uses “Olive Nymph” without an accompanying dressing. This page documents Normand Frechette’s separate olive nymph technique, using chartreuse tubing and black wire for its segmented abdomen. The indexed photo is not verified as the same fly.
Work through the numbered steps in order, using the materials list and written proportions as your guide.
01
Seat bead and make a tail
Place the bead at the hook eye, start olive thread behind it and cover the shank to the bend. Tie in a sparse coq-de-Leon tail extending just beyond the bend.
Bench note The tail should be narrow enough for a small olive mayfly profile.
02
Lay back wire and tube
Insert the front ends of black wire and chartreuse midge tubing into the back of the bead. Stretch the tubing and bind both materials neatly back to the tail, keeping the underbody smooth.
Bench note Starting both materials at the bead prevents a bulky lump near the tail.
03
Wrap the abdomen
Bring the tubing and wire forward together in close, even turns, making a segmented abdomen to just behind the bead. Secure and trim both materials.
Bench note Maintain light stretch on the tube so each segment has a consistent width.
04
Dub the thorax
If desired, apply a thin clear UV coat to the abdomen and cure it. Dub a small brown-olive thorax behind the bead, whip finish and tease a few fibers out at the sides.
Bench note Keep the thorax compact so it does not hide the segmented body.
Beyond the bench
On the water.
Drift this slim, beaded nymph through runs where small olive mayflies are present. A larger or smaller hook and bead can change the sink rate without changing the tubing-and-wire construction.