An easy one-material fly - the Teeny Nymph

Created by Jim Teeny of Oregon, the Teeny Nymph is a simple, all purpose nymph that can work in all kinds of situations.
Hook: #6-10 nymph
Thread: Brown
Body: Pheasant tail fibers
Legs: Pheasant tail fiber tips
** Some of the popular books used on this channel: **
Fly Pattern Encyclopedia: amzn.to/34U0rUe
Mike Valla's "Tying the Founding Flies," 2015, amzn.to/354oSir
Valla's "Tying and Fishing Bucktails..." 2016, amzn.to/3Jg2Mys
Valla's "Tying Catskill-Style Dry Flies," 2020, amzn.to/3DmYOjJ
Valla's "Classic Streamer Fly Box," 2020, amzn.to/3n3Vakf
Dave Hughes, "Essential Trout Flies," 2017, amzn.to/3lbCZYX
Hughes, "Nymphs for Streams and Stillwaters," amzn.to/3HC2jpc
Hughes, "Wet Flies," 2015, amzn.to/33ac3lQ
David Klausmeyer's "Favorite Flies," 2020, amzn.to/3oeSNMa
Randle Scott Stetzer's "Flies, the Best One Thousand," amzn.to/34Q15mp
Terry Hellekson's "Popular Fly Patterns," 1976, amzn.to/2L4IyvS
Dick Stewart's, "Flies for Bass and Panfish," 1992, amzn.to/3aGpFs1
Savage Flies is a project with the mission of encouraging and teaching fly tying to as many people as possible. The channel is named after one of my western Maryland homewaters, the Savage River. Thanks for stopping by.

[@cavdvr99]

Thank you for this video. This was the 3rd fly I ever was taught, by Jim himself. He was in town promoting his book and his tying materials some 25 years ago. Still have his book!

[@FlyTyer1948]

What a great experience. Did he say anything about why there were two sets of legs?

[@ybarrajc]

Another fast and easy fly, thanks for sharing. Have a blessed day my friend.

[@user-be3tn3tp9p]

Fished this in Montana lakes last fall behind a leech pattern. It was a killer!

[@mlshore]

Nice video! I tie up a bunch of these every year in a size 16, with one set of legs. They are extremely (EXTREMELY) productive on ponds here in interior Alaska, for both arctic graylings and stocked rainbows. I've had less luck with them in the river, although I did once catch a nice grayling on a size 10, very similar to the one you've tied. I've heard Jim Teeny talk about how he came up with this pattern (it's a good story!) on a couple of podcasts, including April Vokey's and Wet Fly Swing. Thanks for this (and all your others) excellent video!

[@ithacaster]

That's one of the first flies I ever tied, though I don't recall catching much with it. I've got some purple dyed pheasant tail. Maybe I'll give that a try.

[@Jd-yc3gw]

Good morning Matt. ☕️time on a cloudy morning in the desert. Not often you see a fly with only one material. Take care Matt.

[@hirkojs]

Pretty cool tie Matt. Mega Thx !!!

[@krissyverstad6204]

I watched Teeny tie and fish this at and expo back in .... well, a while back. If I recall, he tied his with a thicker thorax. At the demo tank that day he fished it with short strips. Thanks for bringing this one back.

[@alexgyorko6464]

I used to tie this in the eighties but I tied on a shorter shank and tied the nuts in first at the back of the hook and then wrapped forward to the eye with the remaining tips used as legs. I had almost forgotten about this pattern.

[@mlshore]

That's how I tie them, too.

[@ZacharyBobbie1611]

Awesome fly, Matt! Sometimes simplicity wins over substance! Thank you for sharing! Tight lines! 😎🎣

[@lawfish5270]

There’s also the Teeny Leech variant, adds a pheasant tail tail, for a more elongated profile and a bit more movement. I actually haven’t tied or fished the Teeny Nymph or Leech, but they’ve always looked very fishy to me. It probably through on a mono or gold/brass/red wire rib for reinforcement, and probably a couple drops of adhesive too before winding up the pheasant. I think I’ll hit the bench and tie a few up…

[@SavageFlies]

Great comment! Let us know how they work for you. :-)

[@TheCopperVillageAngler]

Simple enough! I’ll have to tie this one. Thanks, Matt!

[@herwigvanhellemont7954]

Very nicely done . I also tie in a red wire 1mm to protect the pheasant tail. And rap it around at last when the body parts are done.

[@davehall2160]

At first glance, I thought it's not done. This is definitely an interesting looking fly, Matt I love it simply. Thanks for the video, Matt

[@bigdaddy99929]

Love simple!! Thx Matt

[@diecastrejuvenation7779]

Well, that is easy enough. But still an interesting fly with just the one material. Thanks Matt!

[@barry4fish19]

I have also made this fly with a wool yarn body, you just put both legs on separately. Also, I like to use a lighter wire hook and/or one size smaller than shown. So, it wouldn’t quite be a one-material fly, but surprising how good it is. You can also make the legs with saddle hackle instead-lots of variations to try on this one.

[@randymorris8740]

Thanks Matt for doing my suggestion... This fly is as simple as Walt's worm and just as effective when fished the same... I caught everything from creek chubs to steelheads on them...

[@markfritch3168]

This can be a very effective pattern out of a float tube with a slow sinking line and an even slower rhythmic retrieve. I have also found that a littlest adhesive and x-sm wire will greatly improve its durability when the fish are hammering it. Tight lines and warm regards.

[@neilnelson6123]

I started using the Teeney nymph last season in Australia and it has proven to be a great fly for me. Usually using it unweighted trailing behind a dry fly, I have often thought that fish were taking the dry, but they were obviously taking the Teeney high in the water column in preference to the dry itself. I usually tie it in 14's and 16's and with only a front legs, although for me, I have found that it is difficult to judge the correct length of the legs after using the PT feather slips to dress the body, so I tie off after running the PT up the shank and tie the legs as a separate exercise.

[@johnnylightning1491]

Nice one Matt. I don't think it gets any more simple than this one. One feather a hook and some thread. Keep the good stuff coming buddy.

[@burtonbrocious171]

Tks matt for this fly its caught about everything with fins it can be tied with different color pheasant tail fibers fish as a regular nymph 😊

[@user-rn3sx1cm1v]

This is a great fly, I've yet to tie one but have fished it with good results for smallmouth in larger sizes. I swing or dead drift this one. There are some good interviews with Jim Teeny on how he came up with this fly, worth looking up on the KZbin.

[@MyItalians]

Morning Matt. Happy New Year. Thanks for doing a fly. I don't know what it represents, but it works.

[@joeduca8582]

Nice one Matt! I may have tied it, too long ago to remember even fishing it. But I did read a lot about Teeny in fly fishing & tying journal. I'd fish it like any other nymph. I do know it's a very successful fly tied in many colors and Teeny caught many species of fish with it. If I can find more info I'll let you know... once I dust the cobwebs off. 😂 Thanks Matt!❤

[@dsmt8703]

Happy New Year. The teeny nymph seems so simple to make yet I still have troubles with getting the proportions just right for my liking. A good one for multiple kinds of fish. Thank you

[@SveninColorado]

Happy New Year Matt! I've been tying a similar nymph which has the pheasant tail tips as the nymph tail, wrapping the shafts forward to leave enough room for a good size head, then creating a wing case by folding the shaft forward, then back, then forward again, securing each fold with a whip of thread...then splitting the remainder of the shafts equally to be secured on each side of the wing case; then finishing off with a good size head..... I hope that make sense. On larger hooks (16 and larger), I use fine brass wire to spin around the abdomen before forming the wing case.

[@kenb4685]

Nice job Matt. Thankyou.

[@bdickinson6751]

Simple but effective. 👍 Kind of reminds me of a fly called the Al's Rat.

[@johnhanley8708]

never heard of it but nice fly

[@davidveilleux4688]

Interesting pattern. I am curious as how it fishes.

[@jimgollach6202]

Interesting nymph, I've watched some of Jim teeney's videos from a while back, hey Matt do you think he fished this fly for salmon? A lot of his videos were fishing for salmon. Thanks Matt. 👌

[@randymorris8740]

I've caught steelheads on this fly, I stepped it up to size 8 first though...

[@markromzick4367]

Wonder how this holds up after catching several trout as there is no reinforcement of the PT body with wire. I'll give it a try. Happy New Year!

[@jimholland1592]

Hey Matt☕️☕️ Wonder how that will fish it must I guessing 🤔 I like simple 😉

[@allenjones2450]

Apparently, Jim Teeny has been using only this pattern in different color and size variations for decades, and catching plenty of fish.

[@jimholland1592]

@@allenjones2450 I would guess so, we produce so many bugs nowadays and I am guessing they did back then. I guess a fish will eat just about anything 🤔

[@Wyamike734]

Happy new year, thanks for the video Matt. Sometimes simple is best. I will need to give it a try.

[@edwardmlotkiewicz2343]

This fly is also in " The Fly-Tying Bible" by Peter Gathercole. Teeny tied it in a few colors but primarily used cock pheasant tail fibers. Teeny did use them for salmon and tied his flies in a series of colors. There was an article in 1993 in Flyfisherman magazine on salmon fishing featuring Jim Teeny. Thanks for another great video.

[@dahutful]

Ive tied em but cant say its a fish catcher.