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Exact finished silver-bead Rainbow Warrior in a vise with a short pheasant-tail tail, reflective pearl abdomen and wing case, dubbed thorax, and red collarReal photo · Silver-bead Rainbow Warrior

Nymph · guide 137

Rainbow Warrior

Lance Egan's compact pearl-and-red attractor nymph, combining a silver bead, pheasant-tail tail, reflective Flashabou abdomen and wing case, rainbow dubbing thorax, and red collar.

Common size
#12–22 in the reviewed Orvis recipe, Orvis demonstrates #16 and notes #18–20 are common practical sizes
Common colors
pearl abdomen and wing case, silver bead, red thread underbody and collar, tan-rainbow dubbed thorax, natural pheasant-tail fibers
Imitates
small mayfly nymph impression, midge-pupa impression, compact micro-attractor rather than one literal natural species
How to recognize it

Look for a curved emerger-style hook, silver tungsten or explicitly labeled pearl-glass bead, roughly six short pheasant-tail fibers, a fully reflective pearl Flashabou abdomen, the same Flashabou folded forward as a wing case, a small tan-rainbow dubbed thorax, and a built red thread collar. The exact hero clearly shows that architecture. A wire-bodied Copper John, generic silver-bead midge, black Rainbow Warrior, and all-pearl or glass-bead variation must remain separately named.

The reviewed Orvis recipe credits competitive angler Lance Egan of Utah with developing the Rainbow Warrior. The pearl-glass bead is documented as an alternative, while Orvis notes that many anglers prefer a silver tungsten bead; bead choice is therefore a labeled variation and weighting decision, not an identity shortcut.
Exact finished silver-bead Rainbow Warrior in a vise with a short pheasant-tail tail, reflective pearl abdomen and wing case, dubbed thorax, and red collar
Real photo · exact pattern

Silver-bead Rainbow Warrior

Exact source-identified Rainbow Warrior tied in Bob Reece's Creative Commons video. This silver-bead, red-collar form makes the compact reflective architecture readable; bead material, hook, size, dubbing blend, tail count, and sink rate remain properties of the source fly rather than universal measurements.

View
exact pattern — finished Rainbow Warrior in source video
Color shown
silver bead, pearl body and wing case, tan-rainbow thorax, red collar, and pheasant-tail fibers
Look for
The source-named finished fly shows a metallic bead, short fiber tail, curved hook, reflective segmented body and wing case, dubbed thorax, and bright red collar in one unobstructed side profile.
Open full-size photo ↗

On the water

Know when and how to fish it.

Use these tips as a starting point. The river, depth, insects, and fish behavior still decide the final presentation.

01

Why it works

  • The pearl abdomen and wing case create strong flashes as the fly changes angle, helping the compact profile remain visible in broken, deep, or lightly stained water.
  • A red underbody and collar concentrate contrast around a very small silhouette instead of requiring a bulky tail, legs, or oversized thorax.
  • The tungsten bead reaches a feeding lane while the pheasant-tail fibers and dubbed thorax preserve just enough nymph-like structure; the result is an attractor, not a photographic copy of Baetis coloration.
02

When to use it

  • When fish are taking small subsurface food but a compact reflective attractor is useful in fast pockets, riffles, deeper seams, low light, or moderate color.
  • As a point, dropper, or searching nymph only where the exact rig is legal and the selected bead can reach the observed feeding depth without overwhelming the tackle.
  • Move to a smaller or subtler exact nymph when clear water, selective fish, or repeated refusals indicate that the pearl body and red collar are too conspicuous.
03

How to fish it

  • Start with a drag-controlled dead drift, using cast angle, leader, indicator, tight-line contact, or a legal dry-dropper to place the fly at the depth fish are using.
  • Adjust depth and drift before changing color: the silver tungsten version's principal mechanical job is reaching the lane, while the pearl body supplies the visual cue.
  • Use a restrained lift at the end of a drift only when ascending nymphs or pupae make that movement defensible, and check the Flashabou tie-down and hook point after contact.
04

Mistakes to avoid

  • Calling a red Copper John a Rainbow Warrior because both are compact weighted attractors; the wire abdomen and Copper John wing-case construction mark a different pattern.
  • Presenting pearl, red, and rainbow dubbing as literal Baetis colors or using the preserved specimen as proof of the species or hatch on a particular river.
  • Adding legs, a wire abdomen, oversized tail, or large thorax until the fly loses the sparse curved-hook architecture shown in the exact hero.
  • Treating silver tungsten, pearl glass, bead diameter, hook size, and sink rate as universal across every Rainbow Warrior variation.

At the vise

Tie this version.

Silver-Tungsten Rainbow Warrior — Orvis Standard · beginner

This guide follows Orvis's reviewed silver-tungsten standard. Pearl-glass beads, plain-rainbow dubbing, black, all-pearl, jig-hook, and other bead or color systems alter weighting or appearance and must remain labeled. The exact Bob Reece hero confirms the finished pattern identity but does not supply calibrated hook, bead, tail-count, or sink-rate measurements beyond its own visible source fly.

Materials

Hook
Standard curved emerger hook, #12–22; Orvis uses a Dai-Riki #125 and demonstrates #16
Bead
3/32-inch silver tungsten bead for the demonstrated #16; pearl glass is a documented separately weighted alternative
Thread, underbody, and hot spot
Red 70-denier or 8/0 tying thread
Tail
Approximately six natural pheasant-tail fibers
Abdomen and wing case
One strand of wide pearl Flashabou
Thorax
Tan-rainbow Sow-Scud dubbing; plain rainbow is a documented alternative
Finish
Head cement applied sparingly to the completed thread collar

Steps

  1. Mash the barb when required for the bead and current rules, slide the silver tungsten bead onto the curved #16 example hook small-hole first, and secure the hook in the vise.
  2. Start red thread directly behind the bead and carry it in controlled wraps down to about the hook point.
  3. Align roughly six pheasant-tail fibers, measure a tail about one hook gap long, secure it on top of the shank, and bind the fibers down into the bend before trimming the excess.
  4. Tie one three- to four-inch section of wide pearl Flashabou behind the bead, bind it rearward to the tail, and return the thread forward to create a smooth red underbody.
  5. Wind the Flashabou forward in overlapping turns to form the pearl abdomen, secure it behind the bead, fold it back, and move the thread rearward enough to reserve a correctly proportioned wing case.
  6. Dub a thin noodle of tan-rainbow Sow-Scud dubbing and build a compact thorax approximately the bead's size without obscuring the abdomen.
  7. Pull the reserved Flashabou forward over the thorax, secure it behind the bead, fold it back, lock it with thread, and trim the material close.
  8. Build the red collar with two controlled whip finishes, trim the thread, clear the eye, and add one small drop of head cement to the thread wraps.

Tying source: Rainbow Warrior Pattern and Tying Instructions ↗

Common variations

Small changes can make a different fly.

One verified, non-AI Creative Commons video frame shows an exact source-identified Rainbow Warrior with a silver bead, reflective pearl abdomen and wing case, dubbed thorax, short fiber tail, and red collar. An exact red Copper John is a named-pattern comparison, while a preserved Baetis aureus nymph is a natural-anatomy reference; neither is another Rainbow Warrior, a color formula, or proof of current river food.

Silver-bead Rainbow Warrior

The exact Bob Reece finished fly shows a metallic bead, short fiber tail, reflective pearl abdomen and wing case, dubbed thorax, and red collar in a readable side profile.
Colors shown
silver bead, pearl body, tan-rainbow thorax, red collar, natural tail
Weighting
A metallic bead is visible; the frame does not calibrate bead material, diameter, hook size, hidden ballast, or sink rate.

Red Copper John identity comparison

An exact red Copper John exposes a full wire abdomen and different wing-case and thorax construction despite sharing red, metallic, and weighted-attractor cues.
Colors shown
red wire, dark thorax, metallic bead
Weighting
Named-pattern comparison only; the pictured hook, bead, and wire do not define a Rainbow Warrior.

Natural Baetis aureus nymph reference

A preserved scientific specimen shows a slim abdomen, wing pads, lateral gills, legs, and three tails as one possible small-mayfly body-plan context.
Colors shown
pale olive-tan preserved specimen, dark internal markings
Weighting
Natural insect reference; not a fly, exact imitation claim, local-species report, hook-size guide, or evidence of a current hatch.

Related patterns

Frenchie Nymph ↗Perdigon Nymph ↗Copper John ↗Blue-Winged Olive Patterns ↗Midge Patterns by Stage ↗General Nymph Patterns ↗

How this guide was checked

Fly information and photo sources.

Guide checked on 2026-07-14. Every image has its own source and usage record. Natural insects and hand-tied flies can vary in shape and proportion.

Pattern sources

Orvis Learning CenterRainbow Warrior Pattern and Tying Instructions↗Bob ReeceLance Egan's Rainbow Warrior↗

Image credits