nymph
Frenchie
- Sizes
- #12–#20
- Imitates
- mayfly nymphs · BWO nymphs · caddis larvae
- Origin
- Lance Egan (variation on a competition classic)
The Frenchie is the quintessential Euro nymph — a Pheasant Tail variation with a fluorescent hot spot collar at the thorax. Developed for competition-style nymphing, it combines the proven mayfly profile of pheasant tail with a bright attractor element that triggers strikes from trout feeding in fast, broken water.
Recipe
This is one dressing. Tie it in other colors to match the hatch in front of you.
Workbench
Variants
Swipe to see In box and Add
| Size | Bead | Body | In box | Add to box |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #12 | 2.4–3.3mm · tungsten · Tungsten slotted | Pink hot spot | — | — |
| #14 | 2.4–3.3mm · tungsten · Tungsten slotted | Pink hot spot | — | — |
| #16 | 2.4–3.3mm · tungsten · Tungsten slotted | Pink hot spot | — | — |
| #18 | 2.4–3.3mm · tungsten · Tungsten slotted | Pink hot spot | — | — |
| #20 | 2.4–3.3mm · tungsten · Tungsten slotted | Pink hot spot | — | — |
At the vise
On a jig hook with a slotted tungsten bead, tie a pheasant tail body and add a bright dubbing collar of hot pink, orange, or chartreuse at the thorax.
Tying video
Fishing now on
Rivers whose hatch chart names this pattern this month. Names and sizes only.
Not named on this month's hatch charts.
On the water
Fish the Frenchie as the point fly in a tight-line Euro rig, leading the flies through seams and runs with constant bottom contact. The jig hook rides point-up, reducing snags. Vary the hot spot color — pink in clear water, orange in off-color.
History
The Frenchie as a *style* has been around competition fly fishing for decades — Lance Egan's version is the color combination that sealed its place in American boxes. The story: Lance took the classic French nymph, replaced the tail with Coq de Leon for sheen and durability, swapped natural pheasant tail for a dyed variant, and paired shrimp-pink Ice Dub with a red-thread collar to create a hot-spot that reads equally well to selective tailwater trout and pocket-water rainbows. He sealed the recipe at his first World Championship in Portugal, 2006, winning a river session on the River Alva with a Frenchie/Bionic Ant dry-dropper rig. The combination has caught fish in every country and state he has fished since.