Casual Dress
Hook: Size 4-12 #XL Nymph hook (We will tie in a size 10)
Thread: Black 6/0
Tail: Muskrat fur with guard hairs left in
Body: Muskrat fur with guard hairs left in, spun on a loop
Collar: Muskrat fur dubbing in a loop, without guard hairs
Head: Black ostrich herl
Note: No bead or weight!
This is an older pattern, dating back to the 1960s, when nymph fishing was relatively new to most fly fishers, long before the days of beads and strike indicators. The Casual Dress was developed by E. H. “Polly” Rosborough of Oregon. In his book Tying and Fishing the Fuzzy Nymphs he said of this pattern “While it appears to represent some tidbit of very active food to the fish it really simulates nothing more than just that, food.” It is still a deadly pattern in lakes, rivers, and small streams. Fish it dead drift, or give it some action. Trout, bass, panfish, and even carp love it.