If you've fished during a damsel hatch, you've seen the aggressive nature of a fish pursuing insects. Most often, especially on higher-elevation lakes, you'll not only see the fish hunting down the emerging damsels, but you're likely to see them slashing, slurping and propelling themselves out of the water to snag a tasty adult damsel. Even better, they seem to key in on the mating damsels as they can get the 2-for-1 lunch special.

This pattern for a Double D (mating damsel) is a great one because it floats well, but still keeps to the slender profile of the natural insects. I like to fish it with a damsel nymph dropper for some added insurance, especially before the fish start to really key in on the adults.

Imitation • Mating Damsels

When to use • June, July, August

Where • Most stillwaters

How to fish it • Fish as dry on floating line

Hook • TMC 101 #10

Thread • UTC Ultra thread 70 Denier Black

Body • Rainy's 3/64" Damsel Foam

Wing • River Foam® Wing Material, Clear Speckled

Hackle • Grizzly

Eyes • Rainy's 1/8" Damsel Foam

Tying Instructions • Cut two small pieces of the 1⁄8-inch foam. Use a lighter to slightly warm, then and pinch/roll the pieces to get rid of the sharp edges. Attach the first foam piece just in front of the hook point, using a figure 8 wrap to secure it in place. Take a piece of the body foam, colored with a black sharpie forming the bands, and tie that in directly behind the eyes. Cut and tie in the foam wing on top of the foam tie-in point, leaving about 1⁄8-inch space behind the hook. Tie and wrap the hackle over this 1⁄8-inch space and tie off directly behind the foam eyes. Repeat this process for the next body section, only this time create a loop with the foam body, apply a small amount of super glue to the end of the body and attach it to a point just behind the foam eyes of the rear body section (see the photo and/or video to better show this). Whip finish and color the foam eyes with the black sharpie to add more realism to the pattern. —

Online: See how to tie the fly

Curtis Fry provides a video tutorial at YouTube • http://youtu.be/ozzk_4t1cPo