Need Advise on Pheasant Tail Nymph

[RCFetter 0]

I just learned how to work my camera on small flies (it's an old Canon Powershot a530).

 

Anyway, I think the tail is too long and do I have too many pt fibers?

 

How do the proportions look? Am I starting the body too far back on the hook?

 

It's tough to notice in the pic, but wing case is a bit narrow.

 

What about the size on the legs? I have 2 pt fibers that I pulled back after tying down the front part of the wing case.

 

Any critiques / comments will be appreciated.

[djtrout 0]

well, a PT is hard to get wrong. Yours will fish just fine. Because you have a bead head, maybe the thorax could be a tad shorter. Bulk up the thorax if you like with peacock herl or dark dubbing of your choice. I use 4 or 5 fibers to start the tail and wrap the body/wing case with the same fibers. I may need to pull additional quills for size 12 to finish the wing case. I usually have 4 legs. Your legs are fine. Your tail is fine I think.

[Philly 0]

Since I tie my PTNs as soft hackles you may want to take this with a grain of salt. The tail looks OK to me. I tie mine with 4 to 6 fibers. The body, at least to me, is started back to far. It looks like you started on the bend. Start it on the shank just before the bend. Other than that the body looks good, especially the ribbing. The thorax looks a bit long to me. I would shorten it a bit. Since I don't use a wing case or legs, someone else can comment on them.

[JohnP 0]

Certainly those will catch fish. I usually try to keep my abdomens a bit thinner, so there is more contrast between it and the thorax, but I think that is mostly personal preference. The original Frank Sawyer version was tied without legs, as the nymph it was tied to imitate tucks its legs in when swimming. Just about any pheasant tail will catch fish and yours will do fine.

[djtrout 0]

agree with Philly on starting the body back a bit too far. good rule of thumb is start at the hook barb which is usually just before the hook bends.

[Fisherboy0301 0]

I kind of like the way the back-to-far body has a bend, kinda real looking.

[wschmitt3 0]

Looks pretty good. I might not start the body so far back but there is nothing wrong with it, it will still catch fish. I would also make the body a little slimmer and use less wraps of wire. But it looks like a very fishable Fly.

[flytire 0]

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

[SilverCreek 0]

Mayfly nymphs are split into 3 basic classes based on the type of water they inhabit. Their body morphology has adapted to their environment.

http://www.state.ky.us/nrepc/water/mayfly.htm

Clingers are flat and squat. They are found in fast water like rapids and very fast riffles. Here is a Heptagenia mayfly nymph.

Crawlers are in water that is moderate flow. They are the what I think most PT’s are tied to imitate. Ephemerella nymphs (PMDs, Hendricksons, Sulphurs)

http://www.troutnut.com/im_regspec/picture_4377_large.jpgf

Burrowing nymphs are in the slow water, at the edges of streams or in the silted areas. The are slim and round and they swim. Hexagenia limbata nymph

I suggest that you taper the abdomen a bit more and I think it would be an imitation for a crawler mayfly.

[RCFetter 0]

Thanks for all the help and advise. I'm learning a lot in this forum.