Fly Of The Week: Beadhead Prince Nymph

The Prince nymph is one of the best selling flies of all time and you can find it in every western fly shop for a reason—it works.

This pattern is one of what I call the Big Three, meaning the three top-selling and go-to nymphs for western fly fishers. The other two are the Hare’s Ear Nymph and the Pheasant Tail Nymph.

The Prince doesn’t match any bug specifically, but it matches several in a subtle way, which is sometimes the way trout want it. Fished in lakes and tailwaters, a small Prince, say a size 16, is a decent match for scuds, which are freshwater crustaceans. Fished in freestone rivers, the Prince is a decent match for a variety of stoneflies and caddisflies. Buy it or tie it in sizes 4 through 12 to match stoneflies, and sizes 14 through 16 to represent caddis. A size 16 or 18 matches scuds.

The Prince Nymph originated in California back in the 1940s and anglers immediately found that a peacock body paired with bright-white goose or turkey biot wings caught the eyes of trout. Because of its white wings, this fly stands out in the water. If fishing high or off-color rivers during spring, this high-vis fly may work like magic. In lakes, it’s the rare trout that doesn’t swim over to look at this fly.

Because it’s highly visible, this isn’t a go-to on spring creeks. And, during summer and early fall, when trout streams may be low and crystal clear this may not be a good choice. The Beadhead version of this fly is even more visible than the original, which used lead wrapped to the body to achieve depth. That bead head is shiny and attracts fish, but may be overkill during summer flows. For late fall, winter and spring on rivers, and all year on lakes, this bug is a top choice and you should carry several Princes, in a few sizes, whenever you head out on the water. It comes in handy—when you can’t decide which fly to fish, just tie on the Prince and see what happens.