The Perdigon is the Sports Car of Euro Nymphs

Like European sports cars, the perdigon is sleek and stylish. It performs like nothing else in your fly box (or your garage). When you hit the gas, your streamlined perdigon will accelerate to the bottom of the water column and cruise through the strike zone, turning the heads of opportunistic trout. Unlike European Sports cars, you don’t have to be rich to add a few perdigons to your fleet.

What Do Perdigons Imitate?

Perdigons are more tactical than imitative. Their sleek design helps them race to the bottom in fast water types. Perdigons represent a variety of aquatic insects. European competition anglers developed them to imitate small insects in fast moving currents. When fished in that manner, trout do not have a lot of time to inspect them. Therefore, perdigons are often tied with a flashy material for the body and feature a brightly colored hot spot. Perdigons are tied in a variety of sizes and colors to represent a range of different subsurface bugs. Perdigons are the ultimate attractor fly for trout who spend their lives in the fast lane.

Why are Perdigons so Effective?

Perdigons are tied with heavy tungsten beads and feature materials that do not create resistance. So, they sink incredibly fast. They can be fished in any water type but are optimal in fast moving currents where it may be difficult to get smaller flies down to trout quickly. Water types like shallow riffles and pocket water often require short drifts. These are the kinds of spots where perdigons shine.

Additionally, perdigons help to present smaller flies effectively in fast currents without split shots, allowing anglers to stay in direct contact with them throughout the drift. They can be tied in a variety of ways to represent anything in the spectrum of a trout’s diet. Lastly, perdigons are virtually indestructible. The entire fly is protected in a UV coating. So, perdigons can be fished all day long without being damaged by trout’s teeth. This prevents you from re-rigging and keeps your fly in the water, where it belongs.

How Do You Tie a Perdigon?

Perdigons are simple to tie and only require a few basic materials. They are designed to create as little resistance as possible. Start with a sharp nymph hook, a heavy tungsten bead, and a thin spool of thread. From there, you want to use stiff fibers for the tail. Most fly tyers prefer coq de leon. Numerous materials can be used for the body of the fly such as, Krystal Flash, Veevus Body Quill, and holographic tinsel. Perdigons can also be tied in a more subtle style with plain thread. Brightly colored thread can be used to create a hot spot. Perdigons are coated with a thin UV Resin. I prefer Loon Flow, but many tiers rave about Solarez Bone Dry. Typically, perdigons will feature a black wing case. The wing case can be created with everything from a black sharpie to colored UV resins.

In the next video, I will demonstrate how I tie the Peacock Flash Perdigon.

How Do You Fish Perdigons?

Perdigons can be fished like any other weighted nymphs in your box. But, they are ultimately designed to get to difficult to reach trout who reside in swifter water types. They are most effectively fished using a tight line or euro nymphing tactic that requires you to stay in direct contact with them throughout the entire drift. It’s also best to fish perdigons using fluorocarbon tippet. Think of the fluorocarbon tippet as the higher octane fuel you would put in a sports car. Fluorocarbon is going to help them sink faster to present to trout in those hard to reach places.

Watch George Daniel demonstrate how to effectively fish perdigons. He demonstrates how a hauling tuck cast helps the perdigons hit maximum speed upon entry into the water.

Final Thoughts

I must admit that I love tying perdigons because they look so cool in my fly box. I line them up like a row of Ferraris.

More importantly, I love fishing with them, as I am often drawn to pocket water and faster moving currents. So, if you have not yet parked a few perdigons in your fly box, I highly recommend you consider doing so. You can tie them as fast as you fish them, and you won’t even have to worry about getting a speeding ticket.

Spend more time on the water.

Have a great day!

Jeff Smecker

*Make sure to leave a comment below!