Bodkin / Patterns
Pheasant Tail Nymph
Classic Recipe
- Hook Standard nymph, 1x long, 14-20
- Thread Brown or copper wire 8/0
Materials
- Tail Pheasant tail fibers (4-6 fibers)
- Rib Copper wire (4 inches)
- Body Pheasant tail fibers (wrapped)
- Wingcase Pheasant tail fibers (folded over)
- Legs Pheasant tail fiber tips (swept back)
- Bead Copper or gold tungsten bead (1)
How to tie it
- Slide the bead onto the hook, mount it, and start thread behind the bead.
- Tie in 4-6 pheasant tail fibers at the bend by their tips. The tail should be about three-quarters of a shank length. Don't trim the butts; they become the body.
- Tie in 4 inches of copper wire at the bend.
- Wrap the pheasant fiber butts forward in touching turns to the 65% mark. The natural barring creates perfect segmentation. Tie down but don't trim.
- Counter-wrap the copper wire in 4-5 evenly spaced turns. Pheasant tail is fragile; the counter-wrapped wire is what keeps this fly alive past the first fish.
- Tie in fresh fibers for the wingcase, pointing back. Wrap the remaining fibers (or peacock herl) for the thorax.
- Fold the wingcase over the thorax, then divide the leftover fiber tips to each side as legs, swept back along the body.
- Whip finish behind the bead.
Substitutions
- Body instead of Pheasant tail fibers: Turkey biots — Segmented body, different texture but fishes the same; Stripped peacock quill — Similar segmented look; Brown Veevus Body Quill — Pre-striped thread, fast to tie; UV2 Pheasant tail fibers — Same thing with UV enhancement
- Tail instead of Pheasant tail fibers: Coq de Leon fibers — Stiffer, more durable. Popular Euro variation; Brown hackle fibers — Widely available; Brown goose biots — Forked tail variation
- Rib instead of Copper wire: Gold wire — Brighter flash, different color; Fine red wire — Adds a subtle hot spot effect; Pearl tinsel — Flashier, good in stained water
- Wingcase instead of Pheasant tail fibers: Mottled Thin Skin — More durable, realistic mottling; Black Scud Back — Dark, shiny wingcase; Flashback tinsel — Flashback PT variant, very effective; Turkey tail segment — Traditional alternative
- Bead instead of Copper or gold tungsten: Black nickel tungsten — Subtler, good in clear water; Fl. orange tungsten — Adds hotspot, great attractor; No bead. Use copper wire body only — Sawyer's original version; Glass bead — Lighter, better for shallow riffles
Other versions
10 more in the app: Joe Penich, BCFlyguys, BCFlyguys (2), BCFlyguys (3), Sawyer Original (No Thread), American PT (Beadhead + Legs), Barbless, Pheasant Tail, Jig, Tungsten.
Tying videos
- Pheasant Tail Nymph — Tim Flagler (Orvis)
- Pheasant Tail Nymph — Davie McPhail (YouTube)
- Pheasant Tail Nymph — Davie McPhail (YouTube)
- Pheasant Tail Nymph — Brian Flechsig (Mad River Outfitters)
- Pheasant Tail Nymph — Brian Flechsig & Tim Flagler (Mad River Outfitters)
- Pheasant Tail Nymph — Charlie Craven (Charlie's Fly Box)
- Pheasant Tail Nymph — Ventures Fly Co (YouTube)
- Pheasant Tail Nymph — Trident Fly Fishing (YouTube)
- Pheasant Tail Nymph — Fulling Mill Fly Fishing (YouTube)
- Pheasant Tail Nymph — The feather bender (YouTube)
- Pheasant Tail Nymph — McFly Angler (YouTube)
- Pheasant Tail Nymph — Paul Johnson (YouTube)
- Pheasant Tail Nymph — Fly Fisherman Magazine (YouTube)
- Pheasant Tail Nymph — Hopper Juan (YouTube)
- Pheasant Tail Nymph — Flies by Aspeen (YouTube)
- Pheasant Tail Nymph — tightlinevideo (YouTube)
- Pheasant Tail Nymph — Savage Flies (YouTube)
- Pheasant Tail Nymph — Davie McPhail (YouTube)
- Pheasant Tail Nymph — Fly Fish Food (YouTube)
- Pheasant Tail Nymph — Fly Fish Food (Fly Fish Food (tutorial))
- Pheasant Tail Nymph — Fly Fish Food (Fly Fish Food (tutorial))
- Pheasant Tail Nymph — Fly Fish Food (Fly Fish Food (tutorial))
- Pheasant Tail Nymph — Fly Fish Food (Fly Fish Food (tutorial))
- Pheasant Tail Nymph — tightlinevideo (YouTube)
- Pheasant Tail Nymph — tightlinevideo (YouTube)
- Pheasant Tail Nymph — Fulling Mill Fly Fishing (YouTube)
- Pheasant Tail Nymph — Jim Misiura (YouTube)