Pheasant Tail Nymph

[scotfly]

This is the way I tie the Pheasant Tail Nymph. It?s not pretty, but it is very quick and easy to tie, it?s surprisingly durable and very effective. As I said it?s not a pretty fly, few in my box are. This is tied to catch fish, not anglers.

Instructions assume right-handed tyers

HOOK ? Wet Fly  #14
THREAD/RIB/WIEGHT ? Fine Copper Wire
TAIL/BODY/THORAX/THORAX COVER ? Cock Pheasant Centre Tail.

Mount the hook in the vice and apply a spot of super glue with a needle.

Attach the wire in exactly the same way you would attach thread, twist the tag off

Take  four  fibres from the tail keeping the tips even. Do not tear the fibres off, for this fly cut them off.

Tie in at the point shown and take the wire down to the tail.

Take hold of the butts and pull the over to the tail and tie down with one wrap of wire.

Twist the body fibres round the wire between your finger and thumb. This is the why I said cut the fibres off the tail, if you tear them off you are left with little curly bits which have to be cut off anyway.

Wrap the twisted body all the way up to the point shown.

Then separate the wire from the body fibres, without letting go.

Tie down with one turn of wire.

Then take one open turn of the wire back to the point shown.

Fold the thorax cover over and secure with one turn of wire.

Then take another open turn of wire back to the head.

Pull the thorax cover back over to the head and tie down with two turns of wire.

Trim the butts and make another two or three turns of wire to form the head.

Break or twist the wire off  and apply a spot of superglue to the head.

When I tie this I always tie two or three dozen at a time. I put a spot of superglue onto a bit of plastic and dip the needle into it to apply it to the fly. Normally I will get about a dozen tied before the glue starts to go off.
After applying  the superglue at the head I push a piece of copper wire through the eye and leave the flies  on it to dry.

That?s it, much quicker to tie than explain, not pretty, but very effective.

[Wildfisher]

Superb Dennis. This simple fly is one I have never been able to tie and end up with a decent result. Always  too bulky. Just tried this method - perfect!

Thanks

[scotfly]

Now that you have perfected that method Fred.... Try this one.

http://www.danica.com/flytier/hweilenmann/sawyer_pt.htm

Next time I'm tying some PTN's I will be doing a few this way. Looks good, but then everything Hans does looks good, a true lord of the flies!