Bodkin / Patterns

Bi-Colored Pheasant Tail Nymph

Nymph · Trout · Grayling · Intermediate · 1 version

Lucian Vasies

  • Hook Straight nymph hook, 1.5x-2x long, 14-20
  • Thread Yellow or brown Sumo 50 denier

Materials

  • Weight (tungsten)
  • Body thread A8 body thread (Perdigon Flat Body Thread 90 denier)
  • Back and thorax cover Natural back and thorax cover (ring-neck pheasant tail barbs)
  • Thorax SM5 or SM6 (squirrel mask dubbing)
  • Legs Natural grey partridge (partridge barbs)

How to tie it

  1. Start the Sumo 50 denier thread and add tungsten at the thorax.
  2. Tie in a bunch of pheasant tail barbs at the bend pointing rearward; these will later be pulled forward as the back, so leave them long.
  3. Wrap the A8 Perdigon flat body thread forward to the 60% mark to form a smooth two-tone abdomen, then pull the pheasant barbs over the top and tie them down. The contrast between the flat thread underneath and the pheasant back is what makes this a bi-colour fly.
  4. Dub a squirrel mask thorax over the tungsten, keeping it compact, and tie in partridge barbs each side as legs.
  5. Pull the remaining pheasant barbs forward over the thorax as a wingcase, tie off and trim.
  6. Whip finish and cement.
  7. Tie it small for best results; at size 18-20 it takes trout, grayling and even whitefish.

Tying videos

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