The Blacknose Dace is a classic American streamer pattern with roots stretching back to the mid-twentieth century, when Art Flick popularized it as an imitation of the blacknose dace minnow (Rhinichthys atratulus) — a small, slender baitfish common to cold, rocky trout streams throughout the East and Midwest. Flick’s original design relied on bucktail layered in white, black, and brown to replicate the fish’s distinctive lateral stripe, and the silhouette became a benchmark for minnow-style streamers. This modern rendition preserves the essential character of the pattern while swapping traditional bucktail for homemade laser dub, a material that breathes and pulses in the water in a way that no static natural fiber quite replicates.
The construction follows a straightforward top-and-bottom dubbing strategy that mirrors the natural contrast of the baitfish. A tail clump is tied in first, setting the overall length and profile, and from there the body is built up using separate clumps of laser dub — darker material on top, lighter on the bottom — worked forward in small increments toward the hook eye. A larger clump at the front builds up the head. Once the fly is whip-finished, the dubbing is thoroughly brushed out to open the fibers and create a softer, more mobile silhouette. A brown marker is then drawn along the lateral line from head to tail, placing the pattern’s signature stripe without adding bulk. Eyes are set with a drop of super glue, and UV Craft fly-tying resin seals the head and locks everything in place. The tyer applies the resin without weight — a deliberate choice, as the pattern is intended to fish at a natural, unencumbered depth.
In practice, the Blacknose Dace covers water wherever small baitfish are part of the trout’s diet. Its sparse profile and the subtle movement of brushed-out laser dub make it an effective option in clear-water conditions where bulkier streamers can push too much water and put fish down. Swing it across current, strip it through pools, or work it on a dead drift along undercut banks — the pattern is adaptable enough to produce across a range of presentations and holds up well in both moving water and stillwater settings.
Materials List
Hook: Ahrex FW527, size 12
Thread: TheFlySmith 12/0, tan
Tail/Body: Homemade laser dub (lighter shade for belly, darker shade for back)
Marker: Brown marker
Adhesive: Super glue
Eyes: Doll eyes (or similar)
Resin: UV Craft fly tying resin
Tools: TheFlySmith dubbing brush
