Nome’s Nuisance

The Nome’s Nuisance is the brainchild of J. Stockard Pro Tyer Nome Buckman, who created the fly under the sort of conditions many anglers know all too well: by accident, and out of sheer necessity. You can find Nome’s work featured on the J. Stockard site and across social media, where her inventive patterns blend creativity with on-the-water practicality.

This fly was born on what turned into an impromptu “one-fly” day. Nome had left all her fly boxes out to dry—out of reach and out of mind—only to realize at the river that she had exactly one fly stuck to her patch: a slightly disheveled slumpbuster tied during her early days at the bench. Long streamer hook, no wire rib to matuka the bunny strip properly, and just enough awkward charm to make you think, “Well, maybe it’ll fish.”

Not only did it fish—it survived the whole day and landed some impressive trout. That rough prototype went on to inspire Nome’s Nuisance, a guide-style streamer that merges the best of the slumpbuster and matuka designs into a single, versatile baitfish pattern. It’s become one of Nome’s go-to flies in both freshwater and salt. In larger sizes, it’s proven just as deadly in the brine as in the rivers and lakes.

Materials

Hook: size 10-2, Mustad 9674 or Daiichi 1750
Thread: 6/0 Black (your choice)
Tail: White Marabou
Flash: Gold Speckled Flashabou
Body: Non-lead 0.030 weight, Pearl Body Braid, marabou filler
Rabbit Strip
Head: Black Thread (your choice)

Step 1

Install body weight and attach the marabou tail.

Step 2

After the tail, move thread forward beyond weight and palmer the rest of the marabou feather to cover the weight and track back to your tail attachment for flash and more material.

Step 3

Attach the body braid.

Step 4

Now, attach the rabbit strip. Be sure to clear away fur and wrap threads on the skin. Go ahead with a very small amount of head cement on the threads only for added security.

Step 5

The first wrap of the body braid is over your threads on the rabbit strip then continue to palmer and cover the body until passed the weight. (Hint if the fibers from the marabou are in the way wet your fingers and stroke the material towards the eye before palmering the body braid). Then attach the rabbit strip leaving lots of room at the eye for the collar.

Step 6

Move your thread forward and touch the attached area threads with just a little bit of head cement and make sure the rabbit strip is kept at a 45-degree angle like shown above for the easiest wraps and to finish the head. About two wraps at most of the rabbit strip, then tie off. Once tied off snip the rabbit strip close and flatten the remaining skin with your finger to enable easy head finishing with the fly.