The Bird's Nest is generally considered an attractor pattern that can be fished on a dead drift, either weighted or unweighted. Sierra guide, Ralph Cutter, prefers to use this pattern for hatches of the Swimming Nymphs, Siphlonuridae, which include the Gray Drakes, Black Drakes, and Ameletus. He will use short strips which gives the Bird's Nest a lively action with the hairs of the body pulsating to the action of the Woodduck hackle. The Bird's Nest is often tied with beads of copper, gold, or black.The Assassin is a variation of the birds nest designed by Tom Loe of the Sierra Drifters.