The Lancer Damsel

A Mid-Column Damsel Nymph

Nice Brookie caught on the Lancer Damsel

In the past couple of years, we've run into more and more situations where fish are feeding on damsels both in shallower waters as well as closer to the surface, so I've worked more on my weightless slower sinking damsel patterns. Besides this one, Cheech will be turning loose a tutorial on a one-inch-below-the-surface-sinking damsel in the next while that's a game changer for fish targeting damsels swimming literally just below the surface. In the meantime, this one will sink a bit faster but still not quite as fast as a bead-headed pattern.

Oh, and the name...if you fish with Lance Egan, you'll learn pretty quickly that he's brokered some deal with the devil and the fish enough to make anyone feel like a noob on the water. This style pattern with the pheasant tail abdomen is a reference to his style of Frenchie nymph. More-so the theory that pheasant tail fibers possess a certain magical power for catching fish, so I've been using them a lot more lately.

Case in point, the fish shown here was taken during a relatively light damsel hatch where my normal beaded patterns were sinking too quickly and getting caught up on weeds or moss. I threw on the Lancer Damsel and caught this guy on the first cast. Check out the materials for the video below...

Material List

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Hook: Fulling Mill 35025 Grab Gape Hook, Barbless - 12
Thread: UTC Ultrathread 70 Denier - Olive
Tail: Grizzly Marabou - Olive
Body: Nature's Spirit Ringneck Pheasant Center Tails - Olive
Ribbing: UTC Ultra Wire - Gold - Small
Body: Pearl Tinsel - Medium
Ribbing: UTC Ultra Wire - Amber - Small
Thorax: Ice Dub - Pheasant Tail
Hot Spot: Ice Dub - UV Shrimp Pink
Wing Case: Thin Skin - Olive
Legs: Nature's Spirit Premium Partridge - Olive
Wing Case Covering: Loon Fluorescing UV Clear Fly Finish

Eyes: Melted 25 lb Monofilament

Other tools from the tutorial:
 

Stonfo Pinza Elite Hackle Pliers
Tiemco Dual Whip Finisher