Fly Tying the Allegany All Purpose (AP) Nymph Fly Pattern

Created by Joe Sather of Baltimore, the Allegany is named after my farm in Allegany County, Maryland. A simple all-purpose fly pattern that is sure to be effective for trout as a general mayfly nymph. Try it as a general panfish or bluegill pattern as well.
Hook: #10-18 nymph
Thread: Red
Weight: 0.015 wire
Tag: Red thread
Tail: Partridge fibers
Rib: Copper wire
Body: Peacock herl
Hackle: Partridge
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Some of the books used in these series:
Dave Hughes, "Essential Trout Flies," 2017, amzn.to/3lbCZYX
Dave Hughes, "American Fly Tying Manual," 1986, amzn.to/3niNL1q
Dave Hughes, "Wet Flies," 2015, amzn.to/33ac3lQ
Mike Valla's "Tying the Founding Flies," 2015, amzn.to/354oSir
Mike Valla's "Tying Catskill-Style Dry Flies," 2020, amzn.to/2Ky0b6V
Mike Valla's "Classic Streamer Fly Box," 2020, amzn.to/3n3Vakf
David Klausmeyer's "Favorite Flies," 2020, amzn.to/3oeSNMa
Randal Scott Stetzer's "Flies, the Best One Thousand," 1992, amzn.to/34Q15mp
John Shewey's "Classic Steelhead Flies," 2015, amzn.to/3hNfxAJ
Terry Hellekson's "Popular Fly Patterns," 1976, amzn.to/2L4IyvS
Fly Pattern Encyclopedia: amzn.to/34U0rUe
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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. I've been uploading at least three new videos a week (usually Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday).
Thanks for stopping by. Please let me know in the comments if you have any tying tips you would like to share or if you have any patterns you would like to see tied here.

[@comesahorseman]

Thanks, Matt! And, thank you Joe! 👍

[@harryjoesather6539]

HEY MATT CAN NOT THANK YOU ENOUGH....FOR PUTTING MY PATTERN ON YOUR CHANNEL.....AND THANK YOU FOR COLLABORATION ON THE HOT SPOT AND THE NAME....I HOPE EVERYONE WHO TRYS IT CATCHES LOTS OF TROUT,,,,THANK YOU AGAIN MATT YOU KNOW HOW TO BUILD UP A NEW GUYS CONFIDENCE....THIS REALLY MEANS ALOT TO ME....YOUR A VERY AWESOME GUY AND I REALLY APPRECIATE..WHAT YOUR DOING HERE....THANKS AGAIN VERY MUSH...AND AS ALWAYS I WILL BE WATCHING.....SEE YA JOE....THANK YOU.

[@SavageFlies]

No Joe... you're the man! I love helping a dedicated fly tying community get excited about the sport. And it doesn't matter how long you've been tying; you're making flies that are going to catch fish! And that's why we all do it. Have a great weekend my friend. :-)

[@harryjoesather6539]

@@SavageFlies THANK YOU MATT YOU HAVE A AWESOME WEEKEND....WITH YOU POSTING MY FLY MY WEEKEND IS ALREADY AWESOME....SEE YA JOE

[@daveveon2104]

It’s a nice pattern you came up with! And very cool that Matt featured it!

[@harryjoesather6539]

@@daveveon2104 thank you very much I appreciate the compliment ✌️

[@johnhanley8708]

Thanks for that tip Matt on the thread wraps, never payed attention to it.

[@davidveilleux4688]

I know it's been 3 years since this video but I will comment anyways. Really like this pattern and all the spider wets . Thanks for sharing.

[@SavageFlies]

You're most welcome David! I appreciate the comment my friend. :-)

[@MVthis]

Matt nice job just gotta say thank you Joe for coming up with this pattern

[@SavageFlies]

Appreciate it Mike, and yeah, for a guy who's only been tying for a couple of months, Joe has got a good eye for what might catch some fish. :-)

[@robertjerome1889]

Nice fly. Love your site. Been tying 10 yrs. Love it. Co. River in aug. Cant wait.

[@bigdaddy99929]

Yet another nice little fly. Definitely must tie a few for my box. 🙂

[@SavageFlies]

Thanks Clyde! I'm sure Joe would be honored if you caught a fish or two with his bug. :-)

[@edwardchavez5627]

Good morning Sir Matt, The Allegany AP, very nice looking fly i,ll be sure to tie up some of those's. Thank You Joe Sather great job Sir.

[@SavageFlies]

Thanks Edward! Appreciate it my friend and have a great weekend!!

[@edwardchavez5627]

@@SavageFlies just lost my oldest Sister in California to covid-19 yesterday at noon Sir Matt. Tuff times right now. I'm very greatful for fly tying I get a little peace and comfort when I'm at the bench Sir. Have a great weekend Sir Matt I'll email you later I'm at work right now.

[@SavageFlies]

@@edwardchavez5627 Edward, man I'm so sorry for your loss. Let me know if there is anything I can do for you. You've been such a great supporter of me and the channel, I can' say enough how much I appreciate it. Stay strong for your family my friend.

[@edwardchavez5627]

@@SavageFlies Thank you Sir and everything taken care of that needed to be done just keep pumping out those videos because your channel and fly tying is my escape a place where I can have a little peace so thank you for that Si r Matt.

[@davehall2160]

That is a gorgeous looking fly Matt

[@SavageFlies]

Thanks Dave- much appreciated my friend!

[@allenaviation5746]

Nice pattern. Thanks Matt and Joe. I think that nymph would work in smaller sizes like a size 18 or 16 in on my home waters. And it's sufficiently simple to tie tiny. I went through a phase tying fully dressed favorites, wets and dries as small as I could down to size 22 even just for fun and practice. I can still do it at the vise but can no longer tie them onto the tippet!

[@SavageFlies]

Oh yeah, a 20 is about the smallest I ever tie OR fish. Nothing more frustrating than spending five minutes streamside adding some 6x or 7x, then fussing with a size 20 something using my clip-on magnifiers... and then losing the fly in a tree on the second cast!

[@johnwalker6603]

Nice technique with the thread cutting!

[@flyflung]

I’ll be tying some of these tonight. I was thinking last night about tying up a peacock and partridge soft hackle and this one looks like a winner. Thanks for the video.

[@saundratate6367]

Nice combination of materials used in this pattern. Guess I’m kind of partial to natural materials...Keith

[@SavageFlies]

Yeah Keith, I do prefer natural materials most of the time too. It just makes me feel more in touch with the tiers of a hundred years ago. But at times, I do like a little bit of flash. :-)

[@martyrothman3933]

Thanks Matt thanks Joe

[@DeboraExum]

Super cool collaboration. Nice to see the community you have built here, Matt!

[@SavageFlies]

Thanks Debora! It really has been fun getting to know a lot of like-minded folks out there. :-)

[@larryhudgins6988]

Thanks Matt. Great looking fly.

[@SavageFlies]

Thanks Larry! I always appreciate the support my friend. :-)

[@Smalltownpaadventures]

A watch your videos look me crazy to learn new patterns. Taught my kids how to do a few of them

[@ghart91]

The miracle of peacock just catches fish.

[@SavageFlies]

Oh yeah Gary. The magical material. 😁

[@kenstephenson363]

Great fly, Matt, again thanks for all these amazing videos

[@SavageFlies]

You bet Ken! Appreciate you watching my friend. :-)

[@dantailleur3597]

Thanks for doing these videos!! And especially this series of attractor, searching flies!! Really a great help to a noobie like me!!! Thanks again!!!

[@SavageFlies]

Hey Dan, I really appreciate the kind words and support my friend. Happy tying!

[@FlyTyer1948]

Nice fly - compliments to Mr. Sather. Matt, you make a very important point about either letting the thread untwist or deliberately untwisting it before tying in materials. Flattened thread makes it much easier to control the material & keep it in the desired spot. One additional idea for securing fly bodies made with peacock herl or ribbing made from hackle stems is to coat the area being covered with a small amount of glue.

[@SavageFlies]

Thanks Bob- and great points. Sometimes I'll put glue under a Mylar tinsel but have never done it for herl bodies. I should at least mention it as an option; probably a few tiers out there who might not realize it would work.

[@FlyTyer1948]

You probably don’t need glue under the herl for this fly, since it’s ribbed. Here if I did it, it would be just habit, but I would recommend it if there is no ribbing. For tinsel, nowadays I would coat it with clear resin before the next step. Previously I used nail polish to coat the outside, but it was a pain waiting for it to dry. I would coat a dozen or more bodies at a time, then go back & resume tying the first one.

[@curtistaylor3471]

Going to tie some up after work today. Thank you for another great fly pattern

[@SavageFlies]

Thanks Curtis! Really appreciate you watching my friend. 😁

[@michaelrollins1370]

Cool pattern matt, great job. Gonna give this one a try later on tonight.

[@SavageFlies]

You got it brother. Truly simple, and gotta be effective!

[@scottmitchell7002]

This looks great 👍 I am going to give it a try. Being really new to fly tying, you make it very easy to follow and understand. Keep up the great videos!

[@SavageFlies]

Thank you Scott! I really appreciate the kind words. It's comments like this that keep me motivated to keep tying. If you haven't seen it yet, make sure to check out my video on craft store materials. That has some great tips for new tiers and my next fly (Friday) is made entirely from some of these materials. It's a simple, crazy looking nymph, but was pretty fun to tie. :-)

[@Jd-yc3gw]

Another good one for me to tie. Thanks Matt and to all the others who participate.

[@SavageFlies]

Appreciate it JD! Thanks for watching my friend. 😁

[@easttnflyfreak2870]

Thanks for the great pattern and for what you do to bring Fly dressers together allways looking forward to whats next thank you

[@SavageFlies]

Thanks James! I always appreciate you watching and commenting my friend! (And PS, I should have mentioned you in the intro... lots of James/Jims out there!)

[@brianfeeney9493]

Thank You Matt !!! 🎣💫

[@SavageFlies]

No problem Brian! Thanks for watching my friend. 👍

[@mikeney5113]

Awesome looking pattern Matt.great tie thanks for the share.keep up the great work my friend.

[@SavageFlies]

Appreciate it Mike!

[@leemowers9395]

Great fly thanks Joe and Matt. Nice design, I love peacock, and just got a partridge skin, sounds like a plan.....

[@SavageFlies]

You bet Lee! I love a good partridge skin. Not cheap, but lots more usable feathers than the bagged stuff. Well worth it!

[@johnhanley8708]

cool looking fly i think I may tie one tomorrow !

[@edwardthornton1031]

Good job Matt. It does look like it will catch a lot of fish. I will be tying a few them today. Good luck Matt.

[@SavageFlies]

Thanks Butch! Always appreciate the support my friend. :-)

[@glennrcampbell4411]

The fly is nice. However, the pattern dates to the 1400's in England. In East Tennessee we especially use it on the Watauga River and South Houston tail waters during the Caddis hatches. All you do is add water and catch browns up to 35 inches. If possible come down and enjoy the Caddis hatch on the Watauga and catch 20" to 30" and larger browns on this pattern. Here we call it the red ass or red but. It is nothing more than partridge and herl from the 1400's in England. Glad you discovered it. You are going to catch a lot of fish. I enjoy your videos. Glenn

[@SavageFlies]

Well thank you for the background Glenn! And oh man, the Watauga just made it on my to-do list! I try to make it down to the Smoky Mountains every spring. Maybe this year I'll make the drive up to that area for a day or two of my trip. I have fished the VA side of the Holston but haven't made it down your way yet. Thanks again for the note!

[@warrenchester8467]

Hello Matt. Just wanted to say what a lovely video. I’m new to this and just catching up with your back catalogue. Your $50 set up was the first I saw where I suggested the magnifier. You explain simply and with joy. Thank you. I live in UK but have a son in LA so if I ever get to Maryland let me buy you a beer by way of thanks. Keep up the good work.

[@SavageFlies]

Thank you Warren! And welcome to the community. :-) If you ever make it to Maryland, I'll take you up on the offer!

[@chipblanton753]

I like that fly a lot !

[@SavageFlies]

Thanks Chip! All credit for this guy goes to Joe. :-)

[@stevetrybalski3082]

Nice looking pattern. This looks like it will be a fish catcher even in my area!!

[@SavageFlies]

Thanks Steve! Definitely an easier pattern than the articulated nymph I’m about to start playing around with. 😁

[@stevetrybalski3082]

@@SavageFlies I will be honest it took me a few tries to get the articulated nymph pattern to look good. It was a fun tye for me.

[@dennisfretz1814]

Great looking fly gonna give it a shot in Pa.

[@SavageFlies]

Now, if I'm not mistaken, the Allegheny region in PA is spelled differently from ours in Maryland. But you'd think they must be related. They're too close together not to be!

[@dennisfretz1814]

The River is spelled the same ,as the County

[@flyrodhiker8326]

I believe that will fish! Very nice sir

[@SavageFlies]

Oh yeah, I think anything with peacock in it has a good chance of working. :-)

[@hirkojs]

Good looking fly

[@jamesvatter5729]

No reason that soft hackle won't be effective. Nice tie, Matt. Great pattern, Joe.

[@SavageFlies]

Oh yeah, thanks Jim!

[@hutzell73]

Great pattern! I bet some longer-fiber rabbit fur would make a good tail as well.

[@coreyjohnson2418]

Now this fly I gotta tie

[@alloutdoorsnovascotia8791]

Yeah cool fly it will work for sure

[@SavageFlies]

Oh yeah, thanks man!

[@tomharvey7436]

That will definitely catch fish did you see Mr McPhail’s recent video how to use up large partridge feathers. Nice tying Matt and thanks again for sharing you knowledge

[@SavageFlies]

No, I did not watch Davie’s on this! I’ve been too busy making videos instead of watching. Will have to check it out now. Thanks!

[@Wyamike734]

Hello Matt finally sat down and tied a few of these today, it was a lot of fun to tie! On a side not can you or anyone else recommend a good UV resin and a decent UV light. I’m still new to the hobby and slowing building up my on hand supplies. I’ve come to realize there is just too many “gotta have this“ items out there 🤣 just like any other hobby. For now I’m just slowly buying different items I need for a particular fly I want to tie.I’m throughly enjoying this new found hobby as well as the videos you post .

[@SavageFlies]

Thanks Mike; I appreciate the kind words my friend! I've used Loon UV resin, and a couple other brands, but my go-to for the last couple of years has been this one I found on Amazon by Riverruns. None of it is cheap, but I've been quite happy with this one: amzn.to/338bVpN One thing to keep in mind, if you end up tying a lot, you'll want to replace the batteries in the light more often than you think you might need to. This is with any UV light. I end up putting fresh batteries in my about every three months or so. :-)

[@Wyamike734]

@@SavageFlies Thank you for the link as well as the tip about the batteries. I will pick some up and give it a try. Thank you once again .

[@laytonmarvin3790]

Great fly, I tie the same in 14's and 16's in red or black thread and what a fish catcher they are. I run these under a larger nymph such as a Iso or stone. Thanks Matt

[@SavageFlies]

Oh yeah, I’ll definitely fish this in a dropper combo. Maybe tightlining with a Euro rig too.

[@marksleeper3752]

very nice

[@SavageFlies]

Appreciate it Mark!

[@harryjoesather6539]

wow 7.5k views awesome....thanks again matt.

[@ColinD0131]

Good fly and am sure it will catch fish

[@SavageFlies]

Thanks Colin, appreciate it my friend!

[@JWBrewer73]

Technical question: Will the exposed lead on the top rear, affect its fishability?

[@clintrandall8997]

Have you ever used an old ball point ink pen to help you with tying a knot on a fly

[@rickpayne2941]

Where did you get your resin bottle from? Really cool fly!

[@SavageFlies]

Thanks Rick! This is the simple little applicator bottle from Wapsi. But it's very convenient. I probably got it from J. Stockard. www.jsflyfishing.com/crest-tools-head-cement-dispenser

[@__magnus__3162]

I think when I was first learning to tie I tried to tie a griffiths gnat and I had no clue what the difference between hen and rooster hackle and I ended up with a poorly tied version of this

[@SavageFlies]

Oh man, I have been there! And it took me way too long to figure out all the differences with threads too. Still lots to learn!

[@damnyankeeflyshop]

does anyone ever use solder for weight?

[@waynesobkowich7151]

Do you have any stickleback patters that are quick to tie

[@SavageFlies]

I've never tied one Wayne, but I'll do some research and see if I can find an easy one for the channel. Thanks for the note!

[@mikeboule1967]

do you buy partridghe skins or just in the bag

[@SavageFlies]

Mike- I have both. I started with a couple of bags so I could get different colors. But I ended up getting a full skin since I used natural the most anyway. The bags aren’t a bad way to go but they do have a lot of unusable feathers in them.

[@TheSasquatchjones]

nice wet fly

[@SavageFlies]

Appreciate it my friend!

[@brianfeeney9493]

🌞😎💫

[@SavageFlies]

I just read an article about counters to VX exposure by a Brian Feeney. You didn't write that did you? Of course, there could be a few other Brian Feeneys out there...

[@brianfeeney9493]

No Sir ....... I Love Weaponry ....... BUT, VX makes me Nervous Matt !!!!! 🙃 Good Fishin’ Buddy 🎣🎣🎣

[@thomasdurkin8719]

You guys in Maryland spell Allegheny weird 😂. But I nevertheless tie some of those tonight.

[@SavageFlies]

Hahaha! Funny, I agree with you! I always confuse myself when writing it-- now I just remember, the one with the H in it is in Pennsylvania. Ie, near Pittsburgh which has an H in it too. :-)

[@thomasdurkin8719]

What can I say, Matt? We like our H's Pennsylvania.

[@hughiegraves8901]

Nice one matt it will hunt for sure.love fishing soft hackles.👍.whats your email.

[@SavageFlies]

Thanks Hugh! Best email is [e-mail]

[@brianfeeney9493]

How do I send You My Email ? Thanks 😊

[@SavageFlies]

Hey Brian- my email is [e-mail]. Drop me a note any time!