The Lightning Bug is similar to a beadhead pheasant tail nymph, and is suitable for beginning fly tyers. I was introduced to it by an article written for the Helena newspaper by Garry Stocker, the proprietor of Montana Fly Goods.

     The Lightning Bug is an all-purpose nymph. It provides an effective generic imitation of a variety of the small, immature insects that are so abundant in tailwaters. I consider it a must-have fly for the Missouri River . I use it during all seasons and, unless there is an obvious reason to fish something else, I probably have a Lightning Bug at the end of my tippet.

    The Lightning Bug may be fished effectively on either a dead drift or with a lift, and works well in a double nymph rig with a larger beadhead nymph. It may be fished with or without additional weight added to the leader. I also fish the Lightning Bug as a dropper under a hopper or other large dry fly.

Materials

     The Lightning Bug is tied on a standard wet fly hook, from #12 to #20. Thread size varies with hook size. The pattern also may be tied on a scud hook. Originally the Lightning Bug was tied with a pearlescent mylar tinsel abdomen, but I like the added effect of wrapping the tinsel over a brightly colored thread underbody. With the availability of holographic mylar tinsel, there are a variety of choices for the abdomen. Similar to the pheasant tail nymph, on which the pattern is based, peacock is used for the thorax. However, dubbing of the tyer's preference can be substituted. The pattern also borrows the wing case and legs from the pheasant tail nymph. One variation that I tie is to eliminate the wing case and use a hen hackle in place of the legs.

Materials Used for the Fly in this Article

• Hook: Mustad 3906, #14 with a 1/8" gold bead
• Thread: Danville 6/0, chartreuse
• Tail: pheasant tail barbs
• Abdomen: pearlescent mylar tinsel
• Rib: small chartreuse Ultra Wire
• Wing case and legs: pheasant tail barbs
• Thorax: peacock herl 

Tying the Lightning Bug

1. Pinch down the barb. Slide the bead onto the hook and mount the hook in the vice. Attach thread immediately behind the bead. Wrap the thread toward the bend to dress the hook.

2. Select 6 barbs from a pheasant tail feather and tie in at the bend. The length of the tail should be approximately equal to the length of the hook shank.

3. Bind the pheasant tail barbs the length of the abdomen. To add taper to the underbody, I pull the barbs back toward the middle of the abdomen and then forward again and overwrap the front portion of the abdomen a second time. Trim the tag ends of the barbs and return the thread to the bend in the hook.

4. Cut a length of pearlescent mylar tinsel. Trim the end at a sharp angle. Tie in the tapered end of the tinsel at the bend.

5. Tie in a length of Ultra Wire immediately in front of the tinsel's tie-in point. Advance the thread to the bead.

6. Wrap the tinsel forward to the bead and tie off. The first full wrap of tinsel should lie behind the rib.

7. Wrap the rib forward to the eye. I prefer to use a counter-wrap for the rib because this makes the rib less likely to slip when the fly is fished.

8. Select 6 barbs from the pheasant tail feather. Tie in immediately behind the bead, with the barbs pointing forward. The length of the barbs should be about half the length of the hook shank. Do not trim the tag ends of the barbs at this stage.

9. Tie in two strands of peacock herl. Twist the herl around the tying thread and wrap the thorax. Tie off and trim excess herl.

10. Pull the tag ends of the pheasant tail barbs forward over the thorax and through the tips, dividing the tips into two bunches, one on either side of the fly. Stroke the tips toward the rear while tying off the tag ends of the barbs. Whip finish immediately behind the bead.

Hackle Variation:

Hans Weilenmann photo