Golden Pheasant

[JeffHamm]

Hi,

A while ago someone asked what to do with some golden pheasant body feathers. There are some bright red and bright yellow body feathers with long fibres that just scream to be used. There haven't been a lot of patterns that seem to call for them though, not like the tippets (for tails) or crest (for toppings, though these are rarely bothered with any more, or tails).

Anyway, I just picked up a used book by Bill Tagg (The art of fly dressing) and he describes a few patterns that uses the red feathers. The way he uses them is to strip off 6 - 12 fibres, tie these in by the tips at the bend (tips over the shank, tags off the bend), twist them 3 or 4 times, then wrap them forward towards the eye as the body. Similar to a pheasant tail nymph.

Because the underside of these are sort of orange, you end up with a really neat body showing both the red and orange. In some patterns he mixes in a couple long black fibres, so you get a 3 tone effect.

Here's an example of a couple of patterns from his book:
Pop's Gnat (dry fly)
size: 14-16
Thread: black
Tail : mix of grizzle and brown fibres (like an Adam's)
body: 6 fibres from the red GP body feather and 2 black fibres twisted
wing: primary feather from starling
hackle: grizzle and brown hackle mixed (again, like an Adam's)

I tied a wingless version of this and the twisted fibre body makes a neat effect.

Another is Watson's Fancy:
Size 6-14 (wet)
thread : red
Tail: Golden Pheasant crest
Body : 6-12 red GP body feather fibres twisted for rear half, front half black osterich herl
rib : fine silver wire
wing: crow
hackle: black hen, tied in as a throat
cheeks: jungle cock eyes

I tied one of these in size 14 (no cheeks) and just used black dubbing for the front half of the body and hen pheasant wings (no crow I'm afraid). Looks really fishy, and the twisted fibres look pretty neat too.

Anyway, sorry no pics, but this produces such a neat looking body that I had to share. If you've got a golden pheasant skin and are wondering what to do, try a few of these and see what you think.

- Jeff

[Rick Z]

IF there were not custom problems I would send you a few crow feathers.
Pterns sound neat.

Rick

[JeffHamm]

Thank Rick, but no need. In his book Bill recommends various substitutes for materials. I've been thinking that the blue patch from a mallard feather would (in my opinion) produce a good looking wing for this pattern (as it does for the butcher). Or, to more closely match a black crow feather, duck or goose dyed black would be fine.

Oh, and I re-read the pattern after posting (posted the pattern from memory, rather than from the book), and he suggests olive thread for the Pop's Gnat, and it is black thread for the Watson's fancy. The red thread that I recalled was a substitute for the GP herl used to make the rear half of the body. I tied one up using the red thread though, and I think the red head looks quite smart.

- Jeff