When to use it
- When the local food form, size, water type, and target depth support the exact pattern or family member.
- Use the linked river report as seasonal context, then verify what is present before choosing size and weight.
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Reviewed technical illustration← Fly Box
Nymph · guide 134
Pink Squirrel
John Bethke's Driftless-region attractor nymph with a buggy squirrel-dubbing body and unmistakable fluorescent-pink thorax.
- Common size
- #12–18 in the reviewed Orvis variant
- Colors reviewed
- tan-gray body, fluorescent pink thorax, gold bead, red rib
- Imitates
- general aquatic nymph, small crustacean or larva impression
The reviewed form uses a curved hook, gold bead, red wire rib, blended tan-gray squirrel body, bright pink chenille thorax, and sparse flash tail. Tail-less and differently beaded versions remain labeled variants.
Technical illustration
Identification views
Pink Squirrel reviewed side profile
A schematic profile emphasizing curved nymph hook and buggy squirrel-dubbing body.
- View
- reviewed side profile
- Color shown
- tan-gray squirrel body, fluorescent-pink thorax, gold bead, red rib, and sparse flash tail
- Look for
- curved nymph hook; buggy squirrel-dubbing body; bright pink thorax; gold bead and red rib
On the water
Understand it. Then fish it.
The river, depth, insects, and fish behavior still decide the final presentation. These are reviewed starting points—not a claim about what is happening today.
How to fish it
- Start with a natural drift at the depth fish are using; add a controlled lift, swing, or short movement only when the food form supports it.
- Adjust depth and drift before treating a bead color or hot spot as the deciding factor.
Mistakes to avoid
- Treating every similarly colored fly as Pink Squirrel.
- Letting a generic size, bead, jig, or dropper label erase the pattern's actual body profile and life-stage cues.
Variant control
Small changes matter.
Three reviewed technical illustrations show the identified profile, construction, and fishing orientation. Hook brand, bead mass, color, size, and regional tying choices remain labeled variables.
Reviewed identified form
The reviewed form uses a curved hook, gold bead, red wire rib, blended tan-gray squirrel body, bright pink chenille thorax, and sparse flash tail. Tail-less and differently beaded versions remain labeled variants.- Colors shown
- tan-gray body, fluorescent pink thorax, gold bead, red rib
- Weighting
- Bead material, underbody weight, hook orientation, and rig weight determine sink rate; a family name does not.
Review trail
Sources, rights, and limits.
Pattern facts were reviewed on 2026-07-12. Every image has its own rights record; photographed hand-tied flies may still vary slightly in proportion.