Nomad
Hook: Standard wet fly, sizes 10-12. I also use a shorter shank 8, too.
Tying thread: Match body colour – Micro (8/0).
Gold bead: 3mm.
Tail: Marabou or rabbit fur.
Head: Glo-Brite fluorescent floss or tying thread.


Now, lure fishing is not exactly at the top of my list a favourite way to catch trout, but this small lure pattern, with the emphasis on small, is a real winner, and it’s one I actually don’t mind fishing at all. Why? Well, because you can fish this one in typical nymph fashion on a floating line and slowly. In fact, this is by far the best and most productive way to fish it. So, whilst it is definitely a lure you don’t have to fish it in a typical lure-wear-the-sleeves-off-your-jacket stripping mode for it to work!

It was originated a few seasons back by Rob Spiller, a professional fly tyer and it has found a place in my box ever since I came across it. This is a clever and well thought through design and it will catch you fish on all manner of waters from the very small to the largest of reservoirs. It’s a truly universal pattern that will work the season through as well and, as such, it has to be well worth the carrying in any stillwater fly box.

The positioning of the gold bead in the middle of the hook shank makes the lure sink on a fairly even keel which has a couple of real advantages. Trout will readily take it ‘on the drop’ and when retrieved steadily it will hold and track reasonably level in what can often be a fairly critical holding or taking zone – useful!

Oh, and the name. Well it’s the name of the fly fishing club which Rob belongs to and apparently this is a very popular pattern with the members – they’re not alone!

I personally like to use rabbit fur for the tail because it is so mobile even at slow retrieve rates and when dropping through the water it flares very well – it’s wonderful stuff and durable, too. It’s your choice at the end of the day, of course.
You will also note that I have included an example using a fine suede chenille as opposed to Fritz for the body and also one with dubbed natural rabbit fur. Both work well and are a little less ‘in your face’ than the original sparkle Fritz version. The dubbed natural rabbit version has some flash, but is a fairly sombre affair overall.
 

Nomad (Rabbit & Pearl)
Hook: Drennan Wet Supreme, size 10 or 12.
Tying thread: Brown Micro 8/0.
Gold bead: 3mm.
Rear body: Rabbit fur guard hair and pearl Lite-Brite, mixed and dubbed (you could also use pearl Glister as part of this mix).
Rib: Fine gold wire.
Head: UTC rusty brown tying thread.

Whether the trout take this for a larger-than-life nymph (or perhaps even a baitfish given the overall profile) would be a pure guess on my part. Who knows? The important thing is, they more often than not want to try and eat it!
 

5 tips to tying a better Nomad
• This is not a typical lure! To get the dressing right pay attention to proportions and the overall bulk of the fly. The dressing should be slim with the minimum of bulk. I recently saw some unsuspecting customers buying commercially tied Nomads on standard 3x long-shank hooks in sizes 12, 10 and 8! Frankly, these were about as far removed from the original as possible. Remember – small and slim.

• I have used a 3mm gold bead with one side of the hole counter-sunk. Thread the bead so that the counter-sunk side sits facing the hook-bend. When tying off the rear body I create a small cone shape with the tying thread and then push the counter-sunk side of the bead hard over this cone. This makes for a neat and secure hold for both the end of the body and the bead.

• You can use marabou for the tail. If so, make sure it is not too bulky or too long. I like the tail to be just over an inch to a maximum of an inch-and-a-half long. You still get plenty of action, but less tail-nipping and wrapping into the hook-bend. I have seen examples tied with tails of two inches and more, but this is over-heavy in my book. The tail is, of course, a vital and prominent feature, but don’t overdo it – and it’s easily done, so beware. Too little is better than too much every time.

If you use a rabbit tail, tease out as much of the fine under-fur (duff) as possible from the base of the hair. This operation is well worth the time and effort because it creates a far more sinuous and mobile tail and, at the same time, gets rid of unwanted bulk at the tail base making it easier to tie in and anchor in place with tight turns of thread.

• When winding the Fritz stroke the fibres back towards the hook-bend as you wind. This creates a nice even lay of the fibres and an overall better effect. If the individual Fritz fibres are longer than you would like and intrude into the gape or mask the hook-point too much, trim them back a little.
Tying a fine suede chenille body: If you would like to tie some with just a plain suede chenille body - and I suggest you do! - take time to strip some of the chenille to expose the centre core at the tie-in point.

Using fine suede chenille makes for a much slimmer profile overall compared to the Fritz version which is why I like it. I have a friend at my local reservoir, Gordon Porter, (known as ‘Gorgeous Gordon’ by Norma, the lady in the lodge) who prefers this particular tying to all others. And he’s probably not wrong, although Norma just may be!

• If you use Glo-Brite floss wind it using a standard tying thread bobbin holder. This way you will have total and easy control when winding a neat, tapered head and whip-finishing the bright, characteristic Nomad head.
 

Fishing the Nomad
This fly is worth a cast at any time of the season, but I personally find it most useful in the first two or three months of the season. It’s a kind of halfway house between using the traditional, bigger lures of early season and the smaller and more imitative patterns of later months. It attracts attention, but is not so big as to be off-putting, even if the target food source is smaller.

At this stage of the season the trout can very often be found hugging the shallows around the banks in search of easy pickings. This because the shallow water warms up the quickest if there is any amount of sun or warmth in the air and means any insect activity is likely to be located here too. The majority of this activity usually taking place any time between mid-morning and early afternoon.

A floating line and a 12ft fluorocarbon leader set up with one dropper is what I use most of the time. A Nomad on the point, with say a small generic fly, such as a Gold-ribbed Hare’s Ear on the dropper. Why a dropper? Well, it’s often the case that the Nomad will draw the fish in the first place and having done so, they are then presented with an option. Sometimes I may even fish two Nomads of different colours just to find out what the preference is on the day. A size 10 on the point with a size 12 on the dropper is a good combination.

The Nomad is a very useful little pattern when playing this game and because it rides point upwards which is a useful attribute when fishing in shallow water – and I do mean shallow. I’ve known times when the fish have literally been holding just off the bank edge. When fishing from an anchored boat you need to get as close as the rules and any bank anglers permit. If you didn’t get a strike within the first two or three metres of retrieve you make another cast. If you’re fishing from the bank try retrieving to right under your feet, and, if space allows, try making a cast and fishing right along the bank edge. You’ll likely catch fish where you wouldn’t believe.

When fishing relatively close in but over deeper water - four to six feet deep – I make my cast and immediately straighten the line so as to be in touch with the flies. If a trout takes ‘on the drop’ – and this is a common occurrence with this pattern – then you have a good chance of making a firm hook-up. Be ready, because the takes can be quite gentle affairs with just a tightening of the line. Don’t expect an arm-wrenching take because this is not usually the case with this fly.

As regards which colour combination to use it’s really a matter of experimentation. All the tyings have a strong colour element to them but some will work better than others on the day, depending on water colour and light penetration. As a rule of thumb I usually find that the Black & Green and Olive & Green are always worth a go first; if they prove unsuccessful I will try other combinations.

When it comes to retrieve rates and styles I favour a slow to medium-paced figure-of-eight for most of my fishing. If this doesn’t work, a short, medium-paced pull-retrieve with a good pause in between each pull is always worth a go. If you experience or suspect ‘tail nipping’, try a longer but steady pull. This will sometimes do the trick if a trout is following and occasionally plucking at the tail.

In the summer months when the water warms up and the fishing starts to slow and the trout go deeper then a Nomad is always worth a try on a floater or slow intermediate line coupled with a much longer leader. I have used anything from 16 to 20 feet of fluorocarbon in order to really get down deep, which you will need to at this time. A slow to very slow retrieve will still give the fly enough action to tempt a trout to have a go. So this little lure can be a handy standby from opening day until well into the summer.

Yes, the Nomad’s a lure for sure, but one with a touch of finesse and well worth the fishing. I have mentioned just a few of the ways in which to fish it effectively, but no doubt you will find others.

• Every month in the magazine, Mick Huffer instructs in the stage-by-stage dressing details of specific patterns and comments on how to fish them.

Factfile

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Effective colour combinations
This table shows colour combinations which all work, but they are in no way definitive. I suggest you experiment all you like with colours. Sure you won’t come up with a winner every time (who does?), but every so often you will find one that works well. Remember those listed below were all experimental in the beginning and are based on using Glo-brite fluorescent floss at the head.