Bodkin / Patterns

Hot Belly Pheasant Tail

Nymph · Trout · Intermediate · 1 version

Reference Recipe

  • Hook standard nymph (1x long), 14-18
  • Thread brown 8/0

Materials

  • pheasant tail fibers (tail, abdomen, wingcase) Natural pheasant tail fibers (several)
  • copper wire (rib) Copper wire (one strand)
  • peacock herl or pheasant tail (thorax) Natural peacock herl (2-3 strands)
  • dubbing or thread (hot belly/collar) Fluorescent orange hot spot thread or dubbing (pinch)

How to tie it

  1. Start thread. Tie in 3-4 pheasant tail fibers for the tail, one shank long, at the bend, and bind in the copper wire.
  2. Wrap the pheasant tail fibers forward to the 60% mark for the abdomen, then counter-rib with the copper wire in 5-6 open turns and tie off.
  3. Tie in a fresh bunch of pheasant tail fibers for the wingcase, tips pointing rearward.
  4. Wrap a peacock-herl (or pheasant-tail) thorax up to just behind the eye.
  5. Pull the wingcase forward over the thorax and bind behind the eye; trim.
  6. Build a bright fluorescent orange dubbing or thread collar at the front as the 'hot belly' hot spot.
  7. Whip finish and cement.

Tying videos

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