The Pheasant Tail is a popular nymph imitation used when fly fishing. It is used to mimic a large variety of aquatic insect larvae that many fish including trout feed upon. It is also widely referred to as the Sawyer’s Pheasant Tail, in relation to the original creator of this fly.

We’ll be looking at six variations:

• Traditional PTN
• Soft Hackle PTN
• Bead Head PTN
• Flash Back PTN
• Full Body Flash Back PTN
• Pogo PTN

Note: Officially the tails are all too long, but that’s the way I like them.

Paul Fedeles

Row 1 – Size 16 hook

Traditional, Black thin skin wing case, Pogo nymphs, Full body flash back nymphs.

Row 2 – Size 14 hook

Two Flash backs, Bead head fold back legs, Tip technique legs, Thin skin wing case, soft hackle.

Row 3 – Size 12 hook

Traditional with fold back and front tip legs, Bead head flash back, Fold back legs technique, Soft hackle, Pogo with centipede legs, Pogo

Materials

• Nymph hooks – size 12, 14 and 16
• Beads for size 14 hooks
• Fine copper wire
• Peacock herl
• Pheasant tail feathers
• Brown hen hackle
• Medium pearl crystal tinsel
• Thin pearl tinsel
• Black thin foam
• Centipede rubber legs (optional)

All nymphs are supposed to look like an ice cream cone. The body is the cone and the thorax is the ice cream.

All variations of the PTN start with the tail, body and ribbing. The materials are copper wire and Pheasant tail fibres.

Tying Instructions

1. Start you thread at the 2/3rds mark and cover back to the bend.
2. Tie in the copper wire at the starting point and wind the thread back to the bend of the hook.
3. For the tail cut 8 to 10 strands of pheasant tail fibres and tie them in above the point of the hook. Tail should be the length of the hook gap.
   Important – Make about 3 turns backward to be above the barb. Fold the fibres back over the tail to the barb. Make two turns to keep tail from turning around the hook.
4. For the body wrap the fibres going over the top of the hook creating an ice cream cone body up to the 2/3rds mark and tie them off. Trim and Half Hitch.
5. Ribbing: Reverse wrap (go under the hook) the copper wire rib to the 2/3rds mark and tie it off and trim.

Every PTN nymph starts this way regardless of what type you plan on tying. The only exception is for a bead head PTN you have to put the bead on first. Make sure the small end of the bead is facing the eye of the hook. Duh! Mistakes I have made.

The next step is the wing case. The wing case can be: pheasant tail, thin skin, crystal flash or foam, etc.

Traditional Pheasant Tail Nymph

Hook: Size 12 2x nymph hook.

The Wing Case

• The traditional PTN has a wing case of pheasant tail fibres. You tie it in just behind the eye. Don’t crowd the eye. There are many ways to make the legs for the fly.
• Use the tips of the wing case, tie them facing over the eye and split at the end.
• Split the wing case and fold then back after you tie it off.
• Use small centipede rubber legs be-fore tying off the wing case.
• Don’t bother with any legs. Usually smaller flies.

The Thorax

• All PTN have a thorax made of peacock herl.
• Tie enough strands of peacock herl, one eye length behind the eye to make the ice cream round shape.
• Wrap it from the front to the back and then back to the front. Tie off and trim. Half hitch.

The Wing Case

Fold it over the thorax and tie it off. How is dependent on what system you are using for the legs.

Soft Hackle Pheasant Tail Nymph

Size 12 2x nymph hook.

An additional step after tying off the wing case. Tie in by the tips a hen hackle. Make two or three wraps to form the soft hackle. Fold the feather back and tie it off.

Bead Head Pheasant Tail Nymph

Size 14 2x nymph hook with a bead head.

• Use the tips forward method for the legs and wing case. Leg length half of body.
• Split the tips and can make two wraps to keep then apart.
• Wrap the peacock herl up to and in front of the legs.
• Using the herl to bend the legs back.
• Fold the wing case over and between the legs and tie it off.

Flashback Pheasant Tail Nymph

Size 14 2x nymph hook.

Use some medium crystal flash for the wing case.

Tie and make thorax with peacock herl.

Add legs before winding the herl or after. I don’t bother with legs.

Fold the flash wing case over and tie it off.

Pogo Pheasant Tail Nymph

Size 16 2x nymph hook.

Everything is exactly the same as the traditional PTN.

The wing case is made from black craft foam.

I don’t bother with legs but centipede legs would work best.

The fly is used with another fly and moves up and down in the water column imitating an emerging may-fly.

Full Body Flashback Pheasant Tail Nymph

Size 16 2x nymph hook.

Before ribbing the fly, tie in some about 10cm (4 inches) of ultra-thin crystal flash at the eye. Leave about 5cm (about 2 inches). Before ribbing the fly tie in some about 10 cm (4 inches) of ultra-thin crystal flash at the eye. Leave about two inches (that’s about 5 cm in non-real measurement) hanging over the front of the hook.

Stretch the flash back to the bend in the hook and reverse wrap one turn of the ribbing to hold it in place. Fold the flash forward and make another wrap to anchor the flash. Then wrap the ribbing wire to the front and tie it off at the 2/3rds mark. Make sure the flash is held in place on top of the hook. Tie it off and trim the wire. Trim the tail off the flash.

Fold the front flash back to use as the wing case. Finish the thorax with peacock herl and then fold the wing case over, tie it in and whip finish.