Fly Tying - Pheasant Tail Nymph in 12 Steps
Material list
- hook: Straight thigh, size 14
- thread: 8/0 gray
- Lead wire: 0.15 mm
- smiles: Pheasant feather
- ribbing: Gold wire
- head: Gold head
Fly Tying - Step by Step
The first step in the Pheasant Tail Nymph is to put a fitting gold head bead on the hackle. We also use now and then to get more weight a tungsten head in gold or a second winding with the lead wire.
That the Pheasant Tail nymph gains weight and comes down further. Let’s tie a lead wrap with a 0.15 mm thick lead. If you want it to gain weight without growing in size, you can also use a lead wire that is a little larger.
After that, the lead winding is secured with our thread. Tip: So that the fly does not turn on the hook afterwards, we still take binding wax or superglue here to fix the lead winding.
Now the tail of the fly is tied, for this we use smiles from a brown pheasant feather. Tip: The first winding should be tied looser then you can still adjust the length of the tail as you want it and the next two windings then tighten.
When the tail is adjusted, it can be bound and the rest can be cut off. Gold wire is also tied in for the ribbing. Tip: You do not necessarily have to use gold wire, you can also use silver wire or bronze wire.
For the dubbing, 7-8 fibers are bound to form the body. The fibers are bound in the back third. In this step it is not so important that the tips of the fibers are the same length.
Next, the body is tied the fans are placed around the hoe and finished with a knot.
After the excess fans are cut off, the wire can be tied with 2-3 windings are quite sufficient. There you must be careful not to damage the binding silk, the fans can protrude a little. In the end, you can no longer see them.
Now take 4-5 fibers and tie them at the top behind the head, which are then tied back before the fly is ready. Tip: Do not tie in too many and too thick fibers or the fly will be very bulky. Make sure that the tips of the fibers are the same length.
For the front part of the body behind the gold head, a peacock fiber is tied in. Tip: If the fiber is long enough, you can lay it 2 or 3 times from front to back so that the front part becomes fuller.
Tie the peacock fiber around the body up to the gold head. Then tie it off and cut the remaining fiber very close to the head. Tip: If your scissors are not sharp enough for this, you can also cut it off with a razor blade, with which you get closer but you have to be careful that you do not cut the body again. The body can still be saved even if you cut the binding silk, there the protruding silk is bound with the new silk. Then you can proceed to the next step.
If your scissors are not sharp enough for this, you can also cut it off with a razor blade, with which you can get closer but you have to be careful not to cut the twill again. The body can still be saved even if you cut the binding silk, there the protruding silk is bound with the new silk. Then you can proceed to the next step.
Conclusion: The Pheasant Tail Nymph is a good all-rounder for all waters. Suitable for deep pumps as well as for fast flowing water. A treat for any trout. If the Pheasant Tail should not be so heavy, it can also be tied without gold head and also without lead wire. Thus, the nymph does not sink so quickly when the water is not fast flowing. Tight Lines – your Flyfishing Crew
