Pheasant

[Traditionalist]

Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus M 33" F 23") There is hardly a feather on the common or "Ringneck"cock pheasant which can not be used by the fly-dresser in general, but not many apart from the centre tail herl are actually used on spiders. Some flies were hackled with the dark blue/green metallic neck feathers, and the old Yorkshire pattern the "Bracken Clock" ( Bracken is a type of fern that grows on the moors in Yorkshire, and "clock" is an old word for a beetle), is hackled with the orange/brown black tipped feathers from lower on the neck. The secondaries were used as slip or bunch wings on many march brown and sedge ( caddis) patterns.

The hen pheasant wings give excellent hackles though, from the upper outer coverts mainly. They look like mottled badger hackles. Quite few dressers I knew swore by these hackles, but they are not mentioned in the literature, and there are no "standard" patterns extant. I have a couple of my own, the pheasant spider for instance, and a couple of old Dales patterns. A very neglected hackle.The hen Pheasant tail is used for a number of patterns, but is notoriously difficult to use, it splits easily, and is hard to manipulate. The secondaries are used for winging on many flies, usually as slip wings. The primaries are rarely used, the fibres are too short and stiff. The undercoverts which are much lighter in colour, may be used for various flies, and are easily dyed, but they are rarely used. Hen pheasant wings and skin shown here.
   




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