Bead Head Pheasant Tail Nymph

(Click on the image to get a huge jpeg version)

Materials

Hook: nymph hook, 3x long
Head: copper bead
Thread: brown
Tail: pheasant tail
Body: pheasant tail
Rib: fine copper wire
Thorax: peacock herl
Wingcase: pheasant tail

Tying Instructions

1.

Pinch down the barb and slip the bead on the hook small hole first. Attach the thread to the hook and build up a bit against the bead so it doesn't slip around. Wind the thread back to the bend of the hook.

2.

Tie in the copper wire, let it hang till later.

3.

Tie in the tail. The fibers should come from the lower portion of one of the central feathers (the really long ones) in a ringneck pheasant tail. You will notice the fibers don't stick together like the fibers in a wing quill, and are slightly iridescent. When clipping the section to be tied in, be sure you cut it as close to the quill as possible, as you will be using the fibers to wrap the body as well. O.K., tie in the fibers so that the tail is about 1.5 times the width of the hook gap. Secure the fibers with a few wraps and wrap the thread forward. DON'T CLIP THE BUTT END OF THE PHEASANT TAIL YET!

4.

Wrap the butt ends of the pheasant tail fibers around the hook to form the fly's abdomen. It should reach up to just past halfway between where the tail is tied in and the bead.

5.

Wrap the copper wire rib over the pheasant tail body. Usually its a good idea to wrap it in the opposite direction as you wrapped the pheasant so that the fly is more durable.

6.

Clip off another bunch of pheasant tail fibers (a fairly big clump -- e.g. for a #12 nymph maybe 20 fibers) and tie them in as if they were going to be a wing... You will want the tips pointing toward the tail. Be careful about their length, since they are going become the legs of the nymph later... A good rule of thumb is for them to reach to the tip of the tail when tied in.

7.

Tie in the peacock and build up the thorax.

8.

Pull the pheasant fibers over the top of the thorax and tie them down. Then divide the tips and pull each half to the sides. Wrap the thread over the tie down point again so they stay pointing to the sides and back. Finish up the head, and you're done!

dmason@zebu.uoregon.edu