One thing nymph anglers often forget–or may never realize–is that nymphs, particularly if they’re suspended under an indicator or high-sticked through a fishy run, will ride through the water column vertically.
The good news is, natural nymphs, when struggling in the current and not able to reconnect to river-bottom stones and rocks or other debris, also tend to ride vertically. The above video shows a really cool comparison between an natural insect struggling in the water column and a drifted Prince Nymph.
On first blush, the Prince is a simple attractor that doesn’t really imitate anything specific. But after watching this short clip, you can see that the Prince does a nice job looking a lot like a natural bug struggling in the current.
Just something to keep in mind the next time you pass over the Prince Nymph in your fly box.