Winter-time lull: Pheasant Tail

Yesterday, I spoke with two fly fishing guides about rivers in the Northeast. Both said best fishing will result with using smaller nymphs and midges. This gave me some inspiration and today and tomorrow I will provide easy recipes for a nymph and a midge.

Let's start with the nymph first. This is my go-to nymph whenever I am nymphing. Nymphing is not a very glorious type of fly fishing, but this fly will bring you more hook-ups than you may expect. I like to tie every fly a little different because you never know what the fish will be looking for. This doesn't mean to dramatically change each fly, but it might mean changing the length of the tail or giving it legs. Check it out:

Fly Fiend: Pheasant Tail Nymph

• Hook: Size 16. 1XL or 2XL Nymph 

• Thread: 6/0 Black or Brown

• Tail: Natural or Brown Pheasant tail

• Abdomen: Wrapped Natural or Brown Pheasant tail

• Rib: Small Copper Wire

• Thorax: Peacock Herl

• Wing Case: Turkey Feathers/Mylar Tinsel for flash

1. Start out with a size 16 2XL nymph hook and wrap black or brown thread back to about the hook bend. 

2. When you get back to the hook bend, take some small copper wire and tie it in. You will use the copper wire as a rib, wrapping it up the abdomen. After you have tied in the copper wire, take a piece of pheasant tail off the feather shaft leaving a little piece for the tail. 

3. Take the rest of the pheasant tail and wrap it up the abdomen then tie it off. Do the same with the wire and tie it off in the same spot as the pheasant tail while leaving room for a thorax.

4. Before you tie in the peacock herl, take a small amount of turkey feather off the feather shaft and tie it in with the excess pointed towards the tail. This way you can tie it on top of the thorax. Some people like to tie in some flash before the turkey feather, but I think it is a nuisance. Once the turkey feather is in, take two or three strands of peacock herl and tie it in. Wrap the herl in and make a small thorax. Tie off the peacock herl then take the turkey and tie it off on top of the peacock herl. From here you should see what is in the picture below. You can now take the turkey feather, split it on both sides of the hook, then tie it backwards to make it look like legs. 

5. For this fly, I went with legs. There are two different views, but BAMMMM. This is a quick easy fly to tie and you will have many successful days on the river nymphing with this fly.

Tie 'em up and give them a shot!

-Fly Fiend