Prince Nymph
Imitates: Stonefly nymph, mayfly nymph, generic attractor nymph
Quick Reference
- Best Sizes
- #12-18
- Best Season
- Year-round
- Best Conditions
- Riffles, pocket water, runs — any time as a searching nymph
- Water Temp
- 45-65°F
- Recommended Tippet
- 4X-5X fluorocarbon
How to Rig It
Lead fly under an indicator, with a smaller midge or mayfly dropper 18" below.
How to Present It
Dead-drift through the head of a riffle into the bucket. The white biot wings and gold bead are visual triggers — fish move sideways for them.
Why It Works
It's an attractor and an imitator. The peacock herl body, brown biot tails, and white biot wings combine to suggest a stonefly nymph and a swimming mayfly at the same time. Fish that ignore other nymphs eat the Prince.
History
Tied by Doug Prince in California in the 1930s. Al Troth added the beadhead version in the 1990s, which became the modern standard.
Pro Tip
When fish are spooky and refuse a Prince, drop one size and remove the bead. The unweighted version is deadly in shallow tailwater.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a Prince Nymph imitate?+
Primarily a small stonefly nymph, but also serves as a generic mayfly nymph and an attractor pattern. The white wings are the unique trigger.
What size Prince Nymph should I use?+
#14 covers most situations. Drop to #16-18 on tailwaters and bump to #12 in fast pocket water.
Not sure if Prince Nymph is right today?
Get a fly recommendation based on live water temp, flow, sky, and time of day for any river in the US.
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