Pheasent tail feathers...

I know they are used for nymphs and such, but will they work as dry fly tail feathers?
Golden pheasent tail feathers I think is what they are called, i call them the standered ones, I know there are dif types...

Hi Grubb,

I think pheasant tail fibers would work if you waterproofed them. My impression, perhaps not correct, is that these fibers readily absorb water which is why they are so popular as a nymph material. My real problem with them is that the fibers are a rather wide and heavy to give a good imitation of mayfly or most other insect tails. Now hoppers legs are a totally different story. Just my 2% of a dollar. I'm sure others will disagree. 8T

For what it is worth, I tend to agree with 8T. Not very good for dries, however I do use PT fibers for tails on emergers, just not for conventional dries.

I think what you are looking for is Golden Pheasant "tippets" which are from a completely different section of the bird (neck region?). This is a traditional tailing material. I'd personally substitute moose hair or maybe fine deer hair rather than PT.

Hex and Brown Drake dry flies from the Grayling, Michigan area are tied with ringneck pheasant tail fibers for tails. These are big flies and need a bulky tail. Brown Drakes will be a #10 and the hex will be #6 and sometimes a #4.

In answer to tje question "will this work for dry flies?", the answer is yes they will for large dry flies.

fishbum

Hey folks, thanks for all the reponses, I tied up 3 #12 drys after I posted this thread and went up to the Hawksbill to try them out. The fish where not impressed...lol, they did ok, sank a little to quick for me, but I agree with "they would work on larger flys" for tails.

whatfly, I had the PT tail feather here on my desk, and thought it may be used as something easier to handle and tye on for tails.

Back to the drawing board lol,
now I gotta dig threw my trunk of goodies to find the right stuff...;)

Wraping the fibers of the pheasant tail feather to form the body of the fly, and ribbing it over with wire makes a very nice dark brown mayfly. I use to fish a parachutte pattern with brown hackle for the tail, the pheasant tail feather wraped for the body and ribbed with a fine cooper wire. The post was either a Turkey T feather or antron, the hackle was grizzle torax dark brown dubbing. The size were 14 to 10. I remember that I waterprof them before fishing them. Cought a lot of brookies and browns in the Au Sable with it in middle of July.
Malevo

Quote:

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Originally Posted by malevo

Wraping the fibers of the pheasant tail feather to form the body of the fly, and ribbing it over with wire makes a very nice dark brown mayfly.

Malevo

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I do the same - makes a nice "buggy" body

Here's a fly I tie that uses pheasant tail for the tails and abdomen. I counter wrap the pheasant tail fibers with thread to add strength and durability. The parachute hackle and the snowshoe hare post make this a great "in the film" emerger. I tie and fish these primarily in sizes 16 to 20. I've had no problems with floating, as the hare and the parachute hackle keep everything I want above the water. The pheasant tail helps every thing else in the water.

This one is my go to BWO version. I tie one in a brown abdomen and pale yellow thorax for Sulpher and Cahill hatches. They all work well for me.

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a11...asantClose.jpg

Thank you all very much, I appreciate all of the responses, nice pic of that fly...:)

I sat myself down here and tied up another dry with grizzly as the tail feathers and went back out and landed 2 on the dry, (and one on a royall coachman streamer) same size fly, don't know if it was the fly or time of day, but just the same, the fly seemed to float longer...

Joe -

Nice emerger !!

John

Joe,

I have to agree with John on your fly. Super good tie. Your choice of materials is excellent. I particularly like the snowshoe hare wing post. I've never used that material as a post but I'm definitely going to give it a try. 8T :)

Thanks for the kind words on the fly! I've posted that one before in some post or another. It's been a pretty good producer on some of our local Browns when the BWO have been about. Dreadfully simple to tie and with the thread counter wrap it really holds up well to trout teeth. I think I've caught as many as 20 fish on one fly before it was chewed down too badly to use any more.