Golden Pheasant tail feathers, the red ones

[Doublehauler]

At the base of the Folden Pheasant tail clump, there are several red feathers. A really nice crimson color. I'm wondering if anyone has a pattern that uses these feathers. I've used a few barbules for tails on some dry and wet flies, but I'm curious about a pattern, likely a streamer, that would use the tip of the feather. The ones I have are 5-6" long, pretty big for a streamer wing, but the last couple of inches of the tip could make a nice looking fly, I would say.

Jim Johnson
Bigfork, Montana
Doublehauler

[halomidge]

They are a beautiful feather.
There are a number of salmon fly patterns that use them, the first one that comes to mind is the "Black Dog"
They're a bit stiff for streamer wings. The softer red body feathers are used on a number of patterns and could easily be used for shoulders on a streamer.

[Skip48]

I also like that feather or at least I think we are talking about the same ones. I tie jigs as well as starting to tie flies and here is a jig I tied using that feather and I think you could use it lots of ways in flies.

Skip

[Deezel]

Maybe you can use it for 'spey' type hackle?

Deezel

[JeffHamm]

Hi,

I use those golden pheasant feathers to tie a nymph pattern, shown here:

http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g142/ ... sNymph.jpg

Don't remove the fibres from the shaft, just bunch them and tie in at the bend so the tips form the tail. You need to trap all the fibres in, so that when you form the abdomen they don't escape on you. This is where the long fibres on these feathers are useful because they are long enough for the tips to form a tail, and to wrap the rest up to form the abdomen.

Wrap the feather around the shaft to form the abdomen and tie in with the remaining feather sticking up (on top of the shaft, this will become the wing case, so do not trim yet).

Counter wrap a rib of brown or wine copper wire (or regular copper or gold if you want a touch of flash).
Tie off the copper wire ahead of the wing case. You can add weight with the copper at the thorax, or just tie off for an unweigthed one.

Dub the thorax with a dark brown dubbing (I use a dark brown possum body fur which is really fine, or brown wool, which is more scraggly - if that is a word.

Add some leggs of brown partridge fibres.

Pull the wingcase over top the thorax, form a small head, whip finish and cement.

If you have some of the yellow feathers from the Golden Pheasant, you can make a yellow version as well.


I don't have any photos, but you can use those feathers for the sides of what is called the "Killer-style" flies in New Zealand. Here is a "hammil's killer", using Green Mallard feathers. The red or yellow body feathers from a golden pheasant can be used this way as well, and would produce really nice night (red one) and day (yellow one) flies. You need to use 2 or 3 feathers on each side, which can make these really finicky to tie, but worth it if you get one to come out nicely.

http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g142/ ... Killer.jpg

These usually have a tail of squirrel tail that sticks out past the feathers, but in this photo the tail was a touch short and only a few stray hairs can be seen. Black squirrel tail would go nicely with the red feathered version, and I would go grey squirrel with a yellow one. The body, although covered, are traditionally red or yellow on killer flies (for night and day versions! Some people swear it makes a difference, but I don't know how).

Finally, you could tie them on top as in a pukeko-style fly (pukeko is a New Zealand swamp bird):

Here's a side view of a Craig's Nighttime, which is one of the most popular Pukeko-style flies (usually night flies; fished slow along the bottom of lakes near a river mouth):

http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g142/ ... meSz10.jpg

and here's the top view to show how the wing sits:
http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g142/ ... opView.jpg

Tying instructions for Craig's Night Time can be found on FAOL under the "old flies and stuff" section. I know Keith Draper used red Golden Pheasant feathers for a fly tied this way, but I can't recall the exact pattern. It's in one of my books, and if I can track it down I'll pass it on.

Here's one of my own patterns tied with a yellow Golden Pheasant feather as a pukeko-style:
http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g142/ ... Pukeko.jpg

The wing isn't sitting quite right on this one though, but that's a falt of the tier not the material.

- Jeff

[the rod tosser]

i have used them for beards and you can use them for hackle in wet flys and you can always
use them for tails

[JeffHamm]

Hi,
Found Keith Draper's pattern. He calls it a "Guardsman"

Hook: size 2 through 8
Tail : black squirrel tail (body length)
tag : red wool underneath the tail (tuft, just beyond bend)
Body : black chenille
rib : silver wire/tinsel
Wing: red golden pheasant breast feather (tied in Pukeko-style, like on Craig's Nighttime)
Hackle: black hen

Basically, it is very similar to Craig's nighttime, but uses the red GP feather.

- Jeff

[Doublehauler]

Thanks guys, now I have some new patterns to work on. The feathers I had in mind are the red ones that are found right at the base of the tail, along with the tail feathers. A couple of your replies use those really nice red flank or side feathers.

I've got about a dozen of these long red fethers from two GP's that I have used up in the last 20 years. I never throw any material that pretty away, so I have had them on my bench for all this time.

For the last week or so I have been on the road chauffering my fishing partner to her 50th high school reunion. That's my excuse for being slow in answering your replies. Wish I could have made it to the Idaho Fish In, we were right in that area, but the timing was all wrong. Like the Mariners always say about this time of year, " wait til next year ".

Thanks again, Jim Johnson, Doublehauler, Bigfork, Montana

[JeffHamm]

Hi Doublehauler,

Ahh, ok. The skin I have doesn't include the tail section, so I just have the red flank feathers on mine. I was thinking that your tail section had a few of those same feathers attached. All my patterns are using the flank feathers, so they might not be suitable with yours they are different shape, too big, or have a different quality of fibre to them. The nymph requires quite big feathers so that the fibres are long enough, so that might work. Some of the others, however, need appropriately sized feathers.

- Jeff

[Donald Nicolson]

The Poacher
Hook: 14-12 wet fly trout, size 10-6 sea-trout, size 4 low water salmon.
Tail: G.P. Breast fibres.
Tag: Gold or fluo orange floss.
Rib: Fine oval gold tinsel.
Thorax: Peacock herl.
Hackle: Furnace (red/black) cock or hen.

This fly was invented in 1925 by Angus Robertson of the well known Glasgow firm of
tackle dealers and was originally intended for sea trout fishing.

The Poacher got its baptism in Loch Lomond and got its name simply from the fact
that poaching was particularly rife in that area.

A friend of Angus Robertson had gone to fish a well known loch in Sutherland
and the fly had accounted for so many trout, he was beseiged by every angler
staying at his hotel to obtain copies for them.
A telegram was dispatched to Robertson, brief and to the point - "Send two dozen Poachers".
This message caused panic in the Post Office and 'words' from the local police.

Another episode in Scottish angling life.