These Pheasant Tail Flashback’s are my first ever tie. The recipe is from the Orvis fly tying guide and the Pheasant tails are from FAOL member “Mossy835”. They are tied on #12,14,16 2x hooks. I think they came out pretty good but I can take any help that you can see. I have to practice more on keeping stuff on top like the Pearl over the torax.
They look very nice, and will certainly catch fish.
TL
MC
I wish my first flies looked that good. Those will definitely catch fish. Keep up the good work.
Joe
Nice ties for the first ones. Take them out and catch a fish them and you’ll be hooked for life.
good job Donat,
lots more to come now that you are hooked.
Hi Donat,
Nicely done for first flies! Those are winners, and trout will definately eat them. I wish my first pheasant tails looked so good.
I do have a suggestion or two, since you asked. First, keep at it, keep tying the same pattern until you are satisfied with it. That will help you build up skills such as thread control, etc. Bigger, to an extent is easier. I encourage beginners to start with #10s or #12s. Once you are comfortable with a given size, then work down to the next hook size.
With regard to the wingcases, you want the base of the wingcase to be the same diameter at the abdomen right behind it. So, extend the pheasant fiber wrap up past the point you want to tie in the back of the wingcase.
Build up the area of the base, where you want to tie in the wingcase, with thread till it is a solid base the same diameter, or somewhat larger diameter, as the abodmen, or even slightly bigger. Place the flashback material over the thread and fold it around the built up base, if you will, and tie down.
When you tie it down, keep even tread tension as you wrap completely around the hook. If you wrap more loosely on one side than the other, it will try to spin around the hook to some extent.
When you tie in the peacock, I like to use 3 or so peacock herls, trim off about 3/4 inch of the tips, tie in, and then wrap them together with a loop of thread and then spin them to make a rope of peacock herl. With the thread twisted in the rope will be much toughter than strands of peacock, and trout teeth will not cut the individuals herls so that they will unwrap.
Once you have the rope formed, wrap back over the tied in flashback material slightly before wrapping forward. That will hide the extra thread base you wrapped in.
Keep us up to date how you are doing.
Again very nicely done for a first effort.
Regards,
Gandolf
Find your nearest hobby shop. Purchase some liquid acrylic. Take it home and mount one of the flies in a small block of it; the first fly you ever tied. The second fly, fish it. If you lose it, fish the next one. When you have caught your first fish, QUIT and take the fly off. Take it home and mount in acrylic as the FIRST fly you tied that actually caught a fish with.
What JC said. I wish I had done that.
I caught 15 or so fish on the first fly I ever tied before I lost it in a tree. It looked nowhere as good as the ones you have tied. The fish didn’t seem to mind that it was ugly though.
You have tied some nice looking flies.
The suggestion about making them a little fuller where the wing case folds over is a good one but I seriously doubt if the fish will care.
Jeff
Donat,
Very nice flies, especially for a first attempt. When I’m learning to tie a new fly or practicing some new technique, I sit down and tie a dozen of that fly, all the same size, same materials, same everything. Doing this builds muscle memory so pretty soon you can do certain tasks without thinking about it, and the practice makes each fly better than the one before it.
By the way, welcome to the addiction. Your doomed.
REE
Looks good.
Not to be a jerk, I’m no pro, but try making both the tails and legs a little shorter. I like making the legs just a touch longer than the thorax.
Here’s a Youtube from a pro’s pro. Watch Charlie and be amazed.
Donat, nice flies for your first try, I would suggest that you do what Castwell, said I wish I had done that. Keep tying a practicing. You are off to a very good start. John
Holy Pheasant Tail Batman. Wow. I have been tying for about a year and had gotten kind of proud of myself at how I tie, but zounds, that was fast. I may be able to make a fly look like that, but he is done about the time I am tying in the tail. He’s probably almost ten times faster that me.
WOW.
You’re off to a great start and soon you’ll be truly as bad as the rest of us. Oh man look at the color of that dog/cat wonder if that will tie a good fly:rolleyes::rolleyes: Yeah you will get that way after a while it just happens. Keep practicing and by all means take the tying course from Al Campbell here on FAOL, it will truly help you!!!
As JC said keep your first tie then the first you catch a fish on (this is the only one I have) and trust me it will bring back the memory of that first fish.
Welcome to the addiction, and if you need help just let us know we were all beginners once and heck even at 4 yrs now so am I.
Fatman
Very good work for your first !!! Welcome fellow addict (you are no longer a virgin) !!!
Thanks all for the replies. I appreciate all suggestions and will practice them.