The Homestead Strike, a pivotal event in American labor history, was a violent confrontation between the Amalgamated Association of Iron and Steel Workers and the Carnegie Steel Company in Homestead, Pennsylvania, in 1892. The company’s attempt to reduce wages and dismantle the union led to a strike and a brutal battle between striking workers and Pinkerton detectives. Image credit: University of Pittsburgh.
My angling mentor, Angelo Tabrizzi, an Italian Immigrant and PA Homestead Steel Millwright
Henry Clement, Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, August 2023.
By Henry Clement
I was introduced to the Prince Nymph by a friend who taught many people the correct way to fish with flies of all kinds. This friend was Angelo Tabrizzi, an Italian immigrant millwright who worked at US Steel. He crafted bamboo and fiberglass fly rods and tied flies using unconventional materials.
Around Cedar Run Inn, he became known as the “fish speaker,” as he knew more about fly fishing than anyone I had ever met. Angelo was born in Naples, Italy, in 1924 and passed away in 2010. He came to America in 1939 and settled with family members in Homestead, Pennsylvania, a famous steel mill town.
I learned that the Prince Nymph is lead wire weighted, as cones did not exist in the 1960s. The original Prince Nymph, created by Doug Prince in the 1930s, was tied without a bead head and was initially known as the “Brown Forked Tail.” A bead head was later added to the Prince Nymph as a variation, enhancing its effectiveness by adding weight for faster sinking and providing a more lifelike movement in the water.
Version of Bead Head Prince Nymph. Photo credit G. Moore, a commons image.
Here’s a more detailed look at the Prince Nymph and its origins:
- Doug Prince created the original Prince Nymph, initially called the ‘Brown Forked Tail,’ in the 1930s. The original fly used black ostrich herl and lacked a bead head.
- The Prince Nymph evolved from a fly created by the Olson brothers, which used different materials and wing positions. Doug Prince adapted this fly to make his version.
- Later, adding a bead head and lead wire created the Bead Head Prince Nymph, a popular and effective variation.
- Today, the Prince Nymph is a widely used attractor wet fly, often fished as a dropper. Many variations exist, with materials and additions such as bead heads and rubber legs. The Prince Nymph’s versatility and effectiveness make it a staple for fly anglers.
I sometimes tie the Prince on a tube, up to about a # 12 or # 14. With smaller tubes, I don’t think there is an advantage, but there could be
Many anglers follow Ruben Martin, an Argentine legend and world-renowned fly tier. He is one of the foremost experts in tying tube flies and has held this distinction for over a decade. However, it is important to acknowledge that Europeans, as a group, have adopted a more effective use of tube flies, not only for Atlantic salmon but also for trout and other game fish. The Scandinavians, in particular, are at the forefront of the increasing popularity of tube flies in Europe.
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