Pheasant Tail Nymph
by Scott K. - January 16, 2008
Pheasant hunting in Nebraska is a popular pursuit in the frozen months of December and January. Pheasants are prized game for the table, but can also be used for fly tying. This article will walk readers through a step-by-step creation of a Pheasant Tail Nymph.
Materials:
- Hook: Nymph/Wet Hook – recommend size 8 to 16
- Thread: 6/0 Brown or Black Uni-Thread
- Tail: 6-8 Pheasant Tail Fibers
- Ribbing on tail: Med. Copper Wire
- Thorax: Peacock Herl
- Wing Casing: Pheasant Tail Fibers
- Head: Thread head (if desired, use a bead for weight)
1) Flatten barb and insert hook into vise.
2) Lay a thread base on the shank of hook. Finish approximately in-line with barb of hook.
3) Tie in a strand of medium copper wire for ribbing on the tail.
4) Secure wire to hook shank. Press the "sharp" end of the wire down on the shank with fingernails or scissors (this is a habit so I don't accidentally cut my thread).
5) Stroke 6 or so fibers of pheasant tail downward on the feather. This evens the tips of the fiber. Cut them off at the base.
6) Measure the fibers approximately the length of the shank. This is a great lenght for the tail.
7) Bind the fibers to the shank just above the barb. Two to three secure wraps should be sufficient. Lift the fibers and advance the thread to approximately the half way point between the bend and the eye of the hook.
8) Wrap the fibers around the shank to create a tapered body and secure with three of four wraps of thread. You are free to use a half hitch at this point to secure your thread in place (this is a habit so as to not let the fibers come unsecured).
9) Wrapping the copper wire in the opposite direction, create sections that give the body a ribbed effect. The wraps in the opposite direction gives the body a firm hold on the shank and integrity so it does not fall apart after the first fish gnaws on it a bit.
10) Select another 6-8 pheasant tail fibers. These will serve as the nymph's wing casing. Stroke the fiber away from the featuer and trim at the base.
11) Bind the fibers for the wing case with three to four tight wraps and leave in place.
12) Bind three peacock herl fibers above the pheasant tail. Peacock herl is very brittle towards the tip. I cut approximately one inch off the tips so that I don't tie them in and have them break immediately.
13) Pull the fibers downward (if they break, we would rather it happen here than in the next step).
14) Twist the herl around the thread. This will give strength to the herl so it doesn't come unwrapped during the wrapping process. Begin wrapping the thread and herl as they are wrapped together. Wrap them forward toward the eye.
15) Tie off the herl leaving plenty of room for a thread head. We still need to do some wrapping at the eye so avoid crowding it.
16) I usually throw in a half-hitch or two here so I don't lose my wraps at the eye.
17) Pull the pheasant fibers that we tied in earlier toward the eye. Here we are creating a wing case. This is, in my opinion, a crucial part of a nymph to give it a proper look.
18) Bind the pheasant tail down with three of four tight wraps and tie in a half-hitch or two.
19) Build up a nice thread head. It is important taht the eye not be crowded at this point so the head doesn't cover the eye of the hook.
20) Whip finish.
21) Trim the thread close to the head.
22) Add a small amount of head cement to the fly. This gives your whip finish a lot of integrity and your fly will last much longer.
23) Here is your finished fly from the side view.
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