Fly of the Week: Pheasant-tail Nymph

Along with the gold ribbed hares ear, the pheasant tail nymph is one of my favorite flies for fly tying and nymphing. It's also one of the most productive trout flies in fly fishing. Frank Sawyer, an English river keeper, invented this fly pattern more than 60 years ago and used only pheasant tail and copper wire to tie his version of this simple fly, a deadly imitation of the Baetis nymph.Al Troth is credited with creating what has become the more standard (American) version, adding peacock herl and legs. Today, the pheasant tail nymph, or PT nymph, has many variations in the world of fly tying. Some fly tyers use different materials and colors for a thorax, some will add a bead head, and some will add a flash back to create the PT Flashback (I prefer the flashback myself.) Although not quite as simple as the hare's ear, the pheasant tail nymph requires some of the same fly tying techniques, and is equally as enjoyable a fly to tie.

INSTRUCTIONS:

HOOK: Standard Heavy Wire (TMC 3769)
THREAD: Brown
TAIL: Pheasant Tail Fibers (4-6 strands)
RIB: Medium Copper Wire (Small in sizes 16 -18)
BODY: Wrapped Pheasant Tail Herl
THORAX: Peacock Herl
WING CASE: Pheasant Tail
LEGS: Pheasant Tail (The ends used for the wing case, tied back)
OPTIONAL: Lead for weight, or a bead head, flash back

Tie in your thread and wind back to the bend. Tie in your Pheasant Tail. The tail should extend from the rear a half to a full hook length - make sure the tips are even before you tie them in. Tie in your copper wire. Wrap the Pheasant Tail forward evenly and tightly to just past the half way mark and tie them down. Now wrap the copper wire forward in the opposite direction and tie it down. The wire will leave you a slightly shiny segmentation and it will also keep the pheasant tail fibers secure. Now, if you want to add your flash do so where the PT ends and make sure the flash is on top of the hook and extending towards the rear. Tie down your pheasant tail, about 6 strands, with the tips extending over the hook eye. These ends will become the legs, so make sure they extend about one half of a hook length beyond the eye. The butt ends should be extending toward the rear. They will be pulled over and trimmed later to create the shell back. Wrap the thread back to where the body ends and tie in your peacock herl. Wrap the herl to create a thorax and tie off about a hook eye's length from the eye. Pull over the pheasant tail shell back. Tie off the PT and trim. Now pull over and tie down the flash if you added it, trimming the excess. Now split the Pheasant tail tips you left extending forward into two even groups on the sides and then carefully sweep them back along the sides and towards the shank. Tie down with about three wraps moving towards the rear, then build up a small head. This should create proper the legs that make this fly unique. Whip finish and add head cement. Useful for both Trout and Steel head applications