Pheasant Tail Soft Hackle, Hook & size

[lastchance]

I was curious, what style hooks and sizes are pheasant tail soft hackles normally tied on? Thanks

[ScottP]

I've tied them on dry fly (94840), nymph (3906), continuous bend (TMC 200), and scud/emerger (DR 125, 135) - they all catch fish. I guess where and how you fish them affects the hook you'd want to use. I had real good luck last year fishing a #16 BHPT soft hackle (scud hook) on a swing through some riffles below Hebgen Dam. Also had good luck with a #14 (94840) fishing it upstream on freestone streams in MD. One of those flies that I don't think you can fish wrong.

Regards,
Scott

[lastchance]

Thanks for the reply. I get curious sometimes as to how other people fish and tie patterns. I enjoy the variety of approaches people use becuase there is more than one way to skin a cat, 'er catch a fish!

[Joe Billingsley]

It will probably work for trout sometimes as well, but if you are fishing for bluegills or crappie try experimenting with different colors and materials for the thorax (such as bright green ostrich herl, red ice dub, etc.) and tie them in larger sizes (6, 8, 10, etc.). Panfish love them.
Joe

[Donald Nicolson]

You can tie softhackles on any wet or dry fly hook.
It depends on how you want to use it.
If you use a dry fly hook, it will fish just on or below the surface as an emerger. With a heavier wet fly hook, it fishes deeper.


Pheasant Tail Spider & variations
Hook 16, 14 or 12.
Tying Thread :- Brown or orange (Pearsall?s No. 17 or 6A).
Hackle :- Blue dun, ginger, coch-y-bondhu, honey dun, furnace or dark brown.
Game bird hackles such as woodcock may also be used.
Body :- Three pheasant tail herls twisted together and wound as a rope.
Rib :- Fine gold wire.

I also like them on s/e hooks, these ones were originally sold in the UK as bait hooks but an identical hook is sold by Daiichi (1640) as a dry fly hook.


If you want to look at more -
http://www.dtnicolson.dial.pipex.com/_w ... 635_1b.jpg

[Ron Eagle Elk]

Lastchance,

Seeing as how you asked about one of my favorite flys I'll add my two cents in here.

I tie my PT soft hackles in sizes from 8 to 18. No matter what size, I wrap the PT fibers around the ribbing wire before wrapping up the shank. Makes the fibers last a lot longer than just ribbing with the wire.

For the two smaller sizes, 16 and 18, I use the aftershaft feather from a partridge as the hackle. Lots of movement in the water and the size of the feather seems to fit the fly nicely.

I fish them upstream with a drag free drift and a greased leader to keep the fly just under the surface film. Watch for bulges or sips near your fly. I also like to use them on a standard down and across wet fly swing. Mend a little to keep the fly in the water longer. Taakes usually come as the fly is rising in the water column and at the end of the swing. Great fly!

If you haven't checked out Donald's site, your missing some great patterns and information.

REE

[RatherBFishin]

I was curious, what style hooks and sizes are pheasant tail soft hackles normally tied on? Thanks

My advice is stay away from how flies are "normally tied". My buddy says he ties his with red wire and murdered'm on the LJ. As for me, I tie all my pheasant tail soft hackles on Montana Fly Co. light scud hooks in sizes that the trout will eat. Albert says that there is only one way to skin a cat, "Deliberately, so you don't get scratched!"

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Chief