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EDUCATION: ONLINE LESSONS:
LESSON 7
The Pheasant Tail (nymphs and the woolly bugger)
from Skip Morris' book, "Fly Tying Made Clear and Simple, 1992"
As I've mentioned the Gold Ribbed Hares Ear is probably the most popular nymph in America and, if that is so, the Pheasant Tail is surely next in line. There is good reason for this: The Pheasant Tail is convincing to trout, relatively easy to tie, and its construction is quite ingenious.
The pattern shown below is, to the best of my knowledge, Al Troth's version of Frank Sawyer's pattern. I have seen the Pheasant Tail in several variations, but this one has emerged (in my experience) as the American standard.
This pattern surprised me at first, as I am sure it has other fly tiers, because pheasant-tail fibers are used to create so many parts of the fly-tail, abdomen, wing case, and legs. Even more surprising is how these fibers suggest each of these parts so effectively.
Some tie the Pheasant Tail weighted; I do not. I find that lead really detracts from the tying and appearance of this fly; but of course, you are welcome to try it. Fish the Pheasant Tail as you would the Gold Ribbed Hare's Ear.
PHEASANT TAIL
Hook: Regular wire, regular shank or 1 or 2X long, sizes 20 to 10
Thread: Brown, 8/0 or 6/0
Tail: Pheasant-tail fibers
Abdomen: Pheasant-tail fibers
Rib: Small copper wire
Thorax: Peacock herl
Wing Case And Legs: Pheasant-tail fibers
The Tails, Rib, And Abdomen
Begin with a size -12 nymph-style hook (the hook shown is an Eagle Claw model No. D57). Start the thread slightly forward of the shanks center, and then spiral it quickly to the bend. Draw four to six fibers to a right angle to the quill of a pheasant-tail feather. (Sometimes these feathers have identical fibers on both sides, and sometimes there is a bright, well-marked row on one side and a dull, faintly marked row on the other; use the bright, well-marked fibers, as these are the most durable.)
Snip the fibers close to the quill, measure them, and then tie them in as a tail at the bend; tail length should equal 1/2 to 2/3 the length of the shank. Lift the butts of the fibers, and spiral the thread back to its starting point at just past midshank; lower the butts and secure them with thread.
Use a light turn to tie in some copper wire. Add several tight securing thread turns, and then trim the butts of the pheasant fibers (and, if necessary, the end of the wire). Lift the wire and wrap the thread down it to the bend. Secure the wire there with thread turns.
Snip off five or six more pheasant-tail fibers (the tips needn't be aligned this time) and use the pinch to tie them in at the bend; tie the fibers in by the last 1/4 inch of their tips. Advance the thread again to its starting point. Draw the fibers into a group and wrap them up the shank in close turns to form the abdomen.
When they have reached the thread's starting point, secure the fibers under thread wraps. Trim the butts of the fibers.
The Tail, Rib, And Abdomen -- Problems, Solutions, And Suggestions
- Stroke the tail fibers a time or two to even their tips before snipping them from the quill.
- If you carefully tie in the copper wire near its end, you will not need to trim the wire.
- Once the fibers for the abdomen are tied in, you can control their tips by either pushing them down, in a motion similar to the pinch, and then wrapping the thread forward over them, or you can simply snip the tips off.
- Loosen your grasp momentarily and slip it down the fibers just a bit before wrapping them up the shank; this will even the tension throughout.
- Pheasant-tail fibers are fragile, adjust tension accordingly when wrapping them.
- If the butts of the pheasant fibers keep escaping your grasp as you wrap them, use the first finger of your left hand to press them down against the shank each time they reach the top of the hook; this allows you to bring your right hand around for the next turn each time without the risky passing of the fibers from hand to hand. The difficulty stems from the shortness of the fibers.
- To keep the fibers from spreading as you wrap them, twist the bunch a bit.
Tying In The Wing Case Fibers And Wrapping The Thorax
Draw its tips even and then snip off yet another bunch of pheasant-tail fibers; this bunch should consist of about a dozen fibers, which would cover about 1/2 inch of the quill.
Tie the fibers in at the front of the abdomen with their tips projecting rearwards; the fibers should project from the tie-in point a distance equal to the full length of the hook. Secure the fibers with several tight thread turns. Trim the butts at an angle, and then bind them with thread. Return the thread to the rear of the thorax.
Select two bushy, long-fibered peacock herls (save the shorterfibered herls for smaller flies), snip them from the main quill, snip off the last 1/2 inch or so at their butts (too much quill or stem here), and then tie them in by their butts.
Trim the herl's stubs. Wrap one herl up to the head area and tie it off. Do the same with the remaining herl. Trim the ends of both herls closely.
Tying In The Wing Case Fibers And Wrapping The Thorax -- Problems, Solutions, And Suggestions
- It is important to measure the wing-case fibers carefully because the length of the legs will be determined by the length of these fibers.
- Remember: The wing-case fibers should be tied in slightly forward of midshank.
- If you are having trouble keeping the herls from sliding down the thorax into a bunched mess, it probably means that you didn't cut the butts of the wing-case fibers at an angle, or at least not enough of an angle. This angle creates a gradual taper which is much easier to wrap the herl over than is a blunt edge. The best you can do in this case is to try to build a taper with thread wraps-and then cut the fibers at a long angle in the future.
- Check to insure that no thread is showing either behind the wing-case fibers or between them and the peacock-herl thorax--functionally, this means nothing, but it is none too soon to be taking pride in your tying.
- It is a good idea to leave even a bit more bare shank for the head of this fly than usual.
Ribbing, And Forming The Wing Case And Legs
Wrap the copper wire up the abdomen in five to seven evenly spaced spirals; continue to spiral the wire through the thorax in about three spirals. Tie off and secure the wire; trim the wire closely.
Draw the wing-case fibers firmly forward over the top of the thorax and secure them. Draw three to five of the fiber tips jutting forward, toward you and then back; secure them with three thread turns. These fibers should now sweep back along the near side of the thorax. Repeat this process on the far side of the thorax.
Trim away the fibers still jutting forward, build a thread head, add half hitches, trim the thread, and complete the fly with a coating of head cement
Ribbing, And Forming The Wing Case And Legs -- Problems, Solutions, And Suggestions
- It is easiest to rib the abdomen if you lift the wing-case fibers up out of the way for each turn of wire.
- The closer you trim the copper wire the better- a pair of worn scissors (worn too much for general fly-tying use) can snip the wire closely with their points.
- Working the leg fibers to the sides is tricky. I find that it helps to crease the fibers by pushing down firmly against their butts with the flats of the scissors; the leg fibers then stay separate from the rest.
1. Draw the fibers of a pheasant tail to a right angle to the quill to square their tips. Snip off the fibers, measure them, tie them in as a tail, and tie in the copper wire.
2. Tie in more pheasant-tail fibers and wrap them up the abdomen.
3. Square, measure, and then tie in the wing-case fibers.
4. Tie in and wrap the peacock hen.
5. Rib the abdomen and thorax with the copper wire.
6. Draw the wing-case fibers forward and secure them with thread turns.
7. Draw a few pheasant-tail fibers back along each side of the thorax and bind them with thread.
8. Snip closely any remaining fibers and complete the fly.
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