Pheasant tail nymph

[Christopher K 0]

That's why your heads are so big, I think. Consider a 6/0 or 8/0 for flies where you don't need to put a lot of pressure. Size 3/0 is great for streamers and larger Wooly Buggers, but is too big to make a neat head in smaller flies.

3/0 is even too big for those, the only real use for it is spinning deer hair and massive streamers, however for those 2 I actually prefer kevlar or 6/0.

[Gene L 0]

The "universal" tying thread is 6/0. I use 8/0 and 12/0 mostly. The 3/0, as you said, is best for spinning deer hair or large streamers...takes less time to build the head. I do not like Kevlar, it's rough on scissors.

[Will K 0]

Ditto others. Don't get down man.. every one of us on here has stuff that's challenging to tie...let me add this, search via google or you tube or vimeo for tightline productions pheasant tail nymph. Easy to understand and super well done tutorial. I wish I'd had videos like this when I was starting!

[KOKOEK9 0]

yea I hear ya, I first started to tie in ty in the 60s then again around 1990 but it is alot easier now with utubes and this forum

[bowmike 0]

This is how I do mine. I like a longer tail on my BHPT. Also these are on a standard nymph/wetfly hook. I like them on a 1xl but some nymphs are shorter than the others. I don't like legs on my BHPT either. Just a personal preference. These are size 12, but have the most luck in size 14.

 

Don't ever refer to yourself as a stupid newbie. I don't think that the poster meant to look down on you with his question of why you were tying on a size 10. I have tied them in a size 6 before, just for giggles and to try as an anchor fly. I used cactus chenille instead of peacock that's how big that mother was. LOL

 

The thing about tying is that you make it your own. Not everyone ties the same pattern the same way. I don't always follow proportions on some of my flies. I don't like pheasant tails with short stubby tails but that is just me. I also like a bit bigger bead heads on mine.

 

Good luck on your tying, and when you get it down, tie about 50 of them. They are by far my most favorite fly for trout.

[flytire 0]

you can get away wth 3/0 thread but you cant get away with 57 wraps of thread for the head. 1-2 wraps of thread is usually enough to tie things down

[Will K 0]

Bowmike - I like your mentality man ! There are times when I'm going to try to do a pattern justice. Maybe I have to sub something becuase I dont have on hand the "correct" item... but my goal is as close as I can come to the original. Maybe I'm doing a historical fly for example: like a gray ghost streamer and just want to be historically accurate.

 

That said, I'd say 90% of my tying is either patterns of my own or variations of others patterns... I like long tails on nymphs, so like you, most of my nymphs have longer tails than "tradition" calls for.

 

OP - I would encourage you to learn about the history of fly fishing and tying, there is so much there to learn from! However, In the same breath, dont be affraid to do something a little different. You are tying flies for YOU, and thus, your "style" should be a part of your flies. That individual style is what makes looking at different flies from different tyers so cool. The pheasant tail that suits your eye, may not look just like the next 5 guys you show it to... but all will catch! Have fun with this functional art you are getting into!

[KOKOEK9 0]

Thanks for your insight, I was tying on #10 for 2 reasons that is what I got to learn on, small enough but not to small, I have gone down to 12 and have ordered some 14s. I try to ty correctly at first. thanks

[bowmike 0]

Study the proportions to get your feet wet. I honestly think that for the pheasant tail, tying on a size 14-12 would give you better practice and make it easier for your flies to look better. When wrapping pheasant tail fibers it can be frustrating if you hook is too long, and your fly gets mis-proportioned. I almost gave up at tying until I started tying with beads. My flies began to look more like flies, and my blood pressure wouldn't keep rising because my non beaded nymphs looked terrible. After that, my confidence went up, and I began to take my time more to understand why, my flies were looking bad, and not the fact that they looked bad.

 

Good luck either way, and don't give up.

[Hellgrammite 0]

I tie mine without legs, generally, and I tie in sizes 14 to 20. With or without beads, and with or without peacock herl thorax, this is a great fly. Fun and cheap to tie and SUCH a good likeness of small nymphs of many sorts!

[KOKOEK9 0]

Hi just tied a sawyer PT. easier than the others, question I will need some smaller copper what colors are good to have for nymphs, is gold need for the gold ribbed hairs ear or is that just the name

[Gene L 0]

Gold ribbed is called for in the pattern. I think you could probably substitute copper for it and do just fine. You can find gold wire (not really gold, just that color) at a hobby shop in the beading section. You can get great copper wire from old electric motors. I don't use colored wire, just the gold and copper.

[KOKOEK9 0]

I got some wire from a florescent fixture coil but that is a little bug, some from telephone cord that is better but I thing to hard what size or gauge am I looking for or don't it matter that much

[flytire 0]

find an old toaster, lamp, extension, small appliance cord and you will have enough copper wire for a lifetime.

 

cut the cord into 6 inch lengths and trim away all but an inch of insulation. that makes a small handle for the wire

 

beware of wire from a hobby store. some will be way to big for fly tying. look for wire in the 32, 34, 36 gauge size

 

for gold ribbed hares ears the traditional rib color will be gold but i think round/oval gold tinsel was originally called for way back when

 

use whatever color you want to use to get different effects. be creative. experiment. nobody needs the general fly tying publics permission to use whatever they want to use to tie any fly.

 

as with all fly tying recipes, they are just the basic formulas to create a fly pattern and can always be modified to suit any individual tyer

[Hellgrammite 0]

I use copper wire for all my ties with wire; brassies, PT nymphs, quill gordons, and hare's ears.

 

No reason to have 2 sorts about.