How To Tie: The Millennium Teeny Nymph With Steve Cullen

This week Steve Cullen is at the vice with the Millennium Teeny Nymph, a simple but effective trou pattern based around the familiar profile and movement of pheasant-tail fibres.

The original Teeny Nymph was created by Jim Teeny and became known for doing a great deal with very little. Its slim, impressionistic shape can suggest all sorts of aquatic insects, making it a useful pattern when Trout are feeding on small nymphs below the surface.

Steve's Millennium version brings the idea into the modern stillwater box while keeping the dressing practical. It is the sort of fly that can be tied quickly, carried in a few sizes and fished in several different ways throughout the season.

Try it on a floating line with a long leader when fish are feeding higher in the water, or use it with an intermediate or sinking line when you need to reach deeper Trout. It can be retrieved slowly with a steady figure-of-eight, fished with short pulls, or allowed to drift naturally as part of a team.


All materials needed to tie this fly are available from Glasgow Angling Centre or Edinburgh Angling Centre and are listed below. As always, if you need any help finding materials or suitable substitutes, we'll be happy to help.

Tied by Steve Cullen Fly Fishing & Fly Tying .

Materials Used

Hook: Wet fly or nymph hook in a suitable size, such as the Fulling Mill 31510 Short Shank Special
Thread: Black or dark Uni 8/0 Thread
Tail and Body: Natural Cock Pheasant Tail Fibres
Head/Throat: Mosaic Dubbing
Alternative Colours: Dyed Ringneck Pheasant Tail can be used to create darker, olive or brighter variations
Head Finish: Fly-tying varnish or head cement

Need the main materials? Click HERE

How To Fish The Millennium Teeny Nymph

The Millennium Teeny Nymph can be fished as a single fly or included as part of a team. Its slim profile makes it a particularly useful choice when Trout are feeding on smaller natural food items or when heavily dressed patterns are being ignored.

On rivers, try fishing it upstream or across the current and allow it to drift naturally. Keep in touch with the fly and watch the leader carefully for any pause or movement.

On lochs and stillwaters, begin with a slow figure-of-eight retrieve. If that does not produce a response, add the occasional short pull or pause to make the fibres move and give following fish an opportunity to take.

Carry the pattern in a selection of sizes and colours. Natural pheasant tail is a dependable starting point, while olive or black versions can be useful when you want to alter the silhouette or match different food sources.


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