Critique on 1st Nymph (Pheasant Tail)

[eric_sthjrsy 0]

Guys,

 

This is my first month tying (keep this in mind), at first I just stuck with Wooly Buggers, now that I am getting more and more comfortable with the vise, bobbin, and tying I am trying to go to smaller size flies and nymphs. Some of you helped me out with this, as I posted some troubles I was having crowding the eye earlier this week. Anyway this is it, Pheasant Tail on a size 14 hook

 

I am in the military so I can take a beating, don't hold back, let me know if this looks half way decent for my first attempts at nymphs... or what I can do to improve before I move on to more difficult patterns.

[flytire 0]

Tail and legs too long

 

Body too short

 

Head area too long and too many wraps of thread

 

With that said, go fish it and see how the fish critique it

 

See here

 

http://www.charliesflyboxinc.com/flybox/details.cfm?parentID=71

[riffleriversteelheadslayer 0]

Norm nailed it but I bet the trout don't have a measuring tape in their pocket

[Flyunder 0]

Save that one you have there. Sit it down if front of you at the vise as a model of what and where to change things on the next one. As your tying have a look at the changes you need to make and adjust accordingly. Tail should be about the length of the body give or take, strive to get the abdomen about 2/3s & the thorax 1/3 including head. Depending on insect legs can be roughly stopped at the rear of the thorax if tied in at the head. Tie six more of those that size paying close attention to proportions as you go.

[SilverCreek 0]

Guys,

 

I am in the military so I can take a beating, don't hold back, let me know if this looks half way decent for my first attempts at nymphs... or what I can do to improve before I move on to more difficult patterns.

 

Pay attention to proportion!

 

One proportion is the relative length of the thorax/head to the abdomen of a real mayfly nymph which is what a PT imitates. This can vary from one insect to another, but most PTs are tied with length of the thorax/head = length of the abdomen. The body of the fly should be half thorax and half abdomen.

 

Here is a PT tied by Charlie Craven:

 

 

 

Here are some real nymphs

 

 

 

Notice that on the side view of your fly how you could have started the abdomen further back. The tail fibers of your fly run along the top of the hook shank along where the body of the fly should be.

 

You should have begun your abdomen back at the point where the hook starts to bend down. That is where the the hook shaft ends and the bend begins. Remember, on straight shanked hooks, the body should start at there the hook bend begins.

 

If you had started you the abdomen of the fly at that point, the tail would be shorter and the body would be longer and the fly proportion would be a lot better. It is not that you tied the tail in too long so much as you tied the body too short.

 

The tail would be about right had you started the body at the correct spot.

[eric_sthjrsy 0]

Awesome advice so far guys thanks.... will take this all in and try again tomorrow.... I'm in Germany so its almost 10 here, need to the hay to get ready for physical training in the morning. So far I am learning a lot from this site.... appreciate everyone's time

[Flyunder 0]

Ahh... "Pt" remember it fondly. Well kinda. Gorilla grass drills were always my personal favorite.

And we appreciate your time for our country, thank you...

[Henrik Thomsen (DK) 0]

Here we go... first 'issue' is the use of tying thread...

 

The real deal is made of 4 long pheasants tail herls and a reddish cobber wire. Nothing else!

 

Here is a nice pdf on it.

http://www.fresnoflyfishers.com/pdf/10%20sawyer_pheasant_tail.pdf