PALM: presentation of perdigone, a terribly effective incentive nymph

A nymph well known to fly fishermen, the partridge has made its way into our boxes for several years. The peculiarities of this nymph and its efficiency for different fishing techniques make it a must for many enthusiasts. Here is a presentation of this atypical fly followed by some advice if you want to get behind the vise.

Jacques Del Arco Aguirre Published on February 9, 2022

Perdigones are rather recent nymphs, their appearance in fly boxes dates back to about 20 years. Perdigón means lead shot in Spanish. Indeed, the perdigones are mounted to prospect the lower water zones of the currents of our rivers.

Pear-shaped, these nymphs are usually rigged with a tungsten ball, a dense material combined with a smooth body allowing the fly to reach its swimming depth quickly. Even modestly sized imitations can move in fairly steady currents.

What fishing action?

Perdigones are effective in many situations, as long as the angler knows how to make them evolve in beautiful water veins. It is for example in nymph toc that these flies express their full potential. On casts ¾ upstream, perdigones will get into action very quickly, with their hydrodynamic profile, whether they are used alone or in a jig. It will be advisable to offer a natural drift and stay in contact with the imitations in order to strike at the slightest suspicious behavior of our line.

Des imitations trÃ¨s attractives sur les truites et les ombres — Very attractive imitations on trout and grayling.

Fly rods are also ideal for handling perdigones. Whether it's with 9 foot multipurpose whips for 4 or 5 foot lines, these rods allow you to get back on the dry side quickly so you can enjoy the hatch.

For nymph fishing with line, some anglers opt for 10 to 11 foot whips, with 3 or even 2 foot lines. To fish for grayling in large rivers with small perdigones, this type of equipment offers a pleasant fishing comfort.

Some tips for making your own perdigones

You don't have to be a great fly tyer to produce fish catching perdigonals. The assembly of these incentive flies is technically very simple. To summarize, you need tungsten balls (for example, 3mm diameter for hooks of 12), pardo fibers to make the rings, holographic tinsel, varnish and a UV lamp.

Quelques exemples de perdigones Ã monter soi mÃªme — Some examples of perdigones to assemble yourself

The different steps are described on this article to mount its first perdigones if at the beginning the first flies will take about ten minutes, thereafter the tyer gains in efficiency, takes care of his finishing, and creates rather quickly unique models resulting from his reflections and from his own experience at the water's edge.