Patulated Nymph

Bill Blackburn told me about this fly. And tied it too. Bill is the craftsman who makes Tom Morgan's bamboo flyrods. Bill makes his own rods too, for that matter. Bill has quite a resume. He's one of the world's best bamboo rod makers. He guided some in Mongolia, where he once caught a 57" fish. Which gave him a nickname he doesn't really like: Big Fish Bill. He worked in Alaska for years too. And for Craig Mathews in West Yellowstone. And for Bob Jacklin before that. And for Pat Barnes before that. Bill said Pat really liked this fly and used it a lot. But it never made it into his fly bins for some reason. Perhaps that's why the Patulated Nymph hasn't appeared in any of the magazine articles and/or books written about Pat. Bill said he can't remember what Pat called this fly. Pat was a great guy with many talents. But perhaps a bit thin on ironic humor. So it's doubtful Pat used this name. But his guides all referred to it as the Patulated Nymph.

Pat did have a similar fly that is better known--that was much the same fly but tied with a peacock herl body instead of the black dubbing used here. The real Patulated Nymph, according to Bill, was tied this way, with the black dubbed body.