Pheasant Tail Nymph

[Allan]

I know there are many recipes for the Pheasant Tail nymph and that the original had only 2 materials. I'm just curious about what the favorite(singular) recipe that you prefer to tye and use? Mine is:
thread - olive/brown thread
tail - pheasant tail fibers
abdomen - pheasant tail fibers ribbed with copper wire(front to back and back to front)
wing case - pheasant tail fibers
thorax - peacock herl
legs - pheasant tail fiber tips

Allan

[ScottP]

I like the flashback version (with or without beadhead); I leave the fibers from the body untrimmed, wrap the thorax, pull over the flashback, then fold the PT fibers back (2 on each side on a fly this small) and trim to length.

Regards,
Scott

[narcodog]

I use the original pattern, thin copper wire and pheasant tail. some times I add weight and sometimes a bead.

[Uncle Jesse]

I like the flashback version with a brass, silver or clear glass bead.

[Rick Z]

I like to use 8 colors of fibers for the tail and body.
Use different colors of peacock for the thorax.
Also at times use a second color of peacock for the wing case.

Rick

[AlanB]

When I fished Yorkshire's river Calder the thing that struck me about the nymphs was how bright a yellow the dorsal side was. Looking for a simple way to imitate this I came up with the BiColour PTN. The thorax cover forms the back and tail as well. It is held down with the rib. Much easier than weaving the body.


Thread: Yellow UTC
Body: Colour extracted and dyed yellow pheasant tail
Rib: Wire - the colour is up to you.
Back: Natural Pheasant tail. Once tied down with the rib trim a few of the tips out to form a slimmer tail.

The thoracic lump is formed by doubling back the pheasant tail butts before trimming off. It takes a little practice not to make the back too long.

Cheers,
A.

[JohnScott]

I know there are many recipes for the Pheasant Tail nymph and that the original had only 2 materials. I'm just curious about what the favorite(singular) recipe that you prefer to tye and use? Mine is:
thread - black thread
tail - pheasant tail fibers
abdomen - pheasant tail fibers ribbed with copper wire ( back to front only )
wing case - none
thorax - peacock herl
legs - grizzly hen hackle ( soft hackle )
Allan

... with some bold changes.

With friend.



John

[Crotalus]

thread - black
tail - pheasant tail fibers
abdomen - pheasant tail fibers ribbed with copper wire(front to back only)
wing case - krystal flash
thorax - Fly Tyers Dungeon Mr. Peacock dubbing (12, 14) peacock herl (16, 1
legs - usually guinea hen or rubber

With and without beads

[EdD]

When I fished Yorkshire's river Calder the thing that struck me about the nymphs was how bright a yellow the dorsal side was. Looking for a simple way to imitate this I came up with the BiColour PTN. The thorax cover forms the back and tail as well. It is held down with the rib. Much easier than weaving the body.


Thread: Yellow UTC
Body: Colour extracted and dyed yellow pheasant tail
Rib: Wire - the colour is up to you.
Back: Natural Pheasant tail. Once tied down with the rib trim a few of the tips out to form a slimmer tail.

The thoracic lump is formed by doubling back the pheasant tail butts before trimming off. It takes a little practice not to make the back too long.

Cheers,
A.

Alan,
That's a very elegant-looking fly. I've started reading a couple of British fly fishing magazines and I have been impressed with how sleek the British nymphs often are.
There was a very good article a year or two ago in which the author went back to fish around some Frank Sawyer's old stomping grounds with Sawyer-style PTNs and gray (grey) goose nymphs. He made the point that one can cast slender nymphs nearer to rising fish because they create less of a disturbance when entering the water. Also their slender forms sink with less weight. Another trick worth knowing.

Regards,
Ed

[AlanB]

Thanks Ed,

It took me a couple of years to com up with that tying based on my observation. The hard part was ignoring or forgetting all the conventions. This one was published a few years ago in Fly Fishing and Fly Tying.

The example is unweighted. The first stage of weighting would be a heavier hook. One thing that people often forget it isn't weight alone that makes a fly sink. Put enough light weight materials on a weighted hook and it will float. What is needed is an overall dense dressing, so hence, slim flies sink faster.

I do use this on rising fish, well not rising but bulging fish. It needs to be cast close in these situations as any long drift can make the fly pass below the fish. Unfortunately I haven't had the opportunity to fish water clear enough to practice the induced take. Which is what the original PTN and Grey Goose were intended for.

Some years ago I saw some "original" Frank Sawyer tyed PTNs. I was surprised how little pheasant tail was in them. If you reverse the proportion of copper wire to pheasant tail you see in modern PTNs it would be about right. Of course the other famous Sawyer nymph is also a superb fly. The Bare Shank Nymph. A variation with black coloured copper wire was my best chironomid pattern last season.

If I want this fly heavier I replace the yellow pheasant tail with coloured copper wire. I'm still searching for a good yellow coloured copper wire (as opposed to gold). One firm will make me some but I would have to order 50Kg (110lbs). Thats a bit much as I usually buy 1oz spools. Maybe I have found it, waiting on the postman.

Cheers,
A.