Pheasant Tail Nymph

[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