The Rainbow Warrior fly pattern is a deadly nymph pattern. It’s bold colors make it a great attractor pattern even the most picky of trout cannot ignore. This pattern is sure to awaken the trout’s hunting instinct and provoke a bite.
The Rainbow Warrior was invented by Lance Egan.
The Rainbow Warrior is an easy pattern for beginners to tie with few materials used in its tying. In my opinion, both its ease of tying and the effectiveness of the pattern at catching trout should make it a staple in every trout fly fisherman’s box.
In this article, I will outline how to tie a Rainbow Warrior fly pattern, as well as the materials you will need to tie the fly, you will also learn how to fish the Rainbow Warrior to catch more fish.
What Materials Do You Need to Tie a Rainbow Warrior Fly?
Rainbow Warrior Pattern Recipe List
Hook: Caddis Pupa/ Grub Hook
Bead:Tungsten Bead
Thread: Uni Thread Red
Tail: Pheasant Tail Fibers
Body: Pearl Tinsel
Thorax: Rainbow Scud Dubbing
How to Tie a Rainbow Warrior Fly?
Step 1
Put the bead on the hook and secure the hook into the vise’s jaws. You can secure the bead in place by wedging a small piece of copper wire in the gap between the hook and the bead. Additionally, you can fix the bead in place with superglue.
Tie in the thread behind the bead and wind the thread in close wraps until you get halfway down the bed of the hook.
Step 2
To create the tail of the fly, cut 5-6 pheasant tail fibers and tie them in. Wrap your thread towards the bead to secure the pheasant tail fibers. Leave a space for the dubbing and trim off the excess pheasant tail fibers.
Step 3
Catch in your pearl tinsel and secure it with a few wraps of thread. If you want to add durability to your fly you can apply a thin layer of superglue to the body. Wrap your tinsel down towards the tail of the fly taking touching turns and then wrap it back up towards the bead. Any superglue pushed out from between the wraps of tinsel from the first pass will be covered with the second layer of tinsel.
Leaving space for the dubbing, tie off the tinsel and leave the excess to be used to make the flashback.
Step 4
Add dubbing to your thread and make several wraps of thread to create the thorax of the fly. You can add more dubbing to the fly the closer you get to the bead to create a tapered look.
You can also use a dubbing needle or velcro to bring out the fibers from the body.
Step 5
Once you have built the fly’s thorax, bring the excess pearl tinsel over the thorax to create the flashback. Catch the tinsel and trim off the excess. Build up a hotspot with your thread.
Step 6
Finish off your fly with a whip finish and add head cement to give your fly durability.