Bead Head Soft Hackle Pheasant Tail Nymph
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Hook: Nymph 2XL
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Step 1: Crimp the barb of the hook, add the bead, and mount your hook in the vise. A small amount of lead wire is optional. I like to use it because it anchors the bead and makes a neater tie off at the end of the fly. |
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Step 2: Attach the thread and wind to the point of the barb. |
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Step 3: Line up a few pheasant tail fibers and tie them in at the point of the bard. The number of fibers depends on the size of the hook. I always use at least three fibers because that matches most mayflies. |
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Step 4: Tie in the ribbing and advance thread to the starting point for the thorax. I like it about 1/3 of the hook shank. |
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Step 5: Twist the wore with the pheasant tail fibers. Don’t twist too tight or the fibers will break. |
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Step 6: Wind the abdomen. If the fibers are long enough, you won’t see the color change until the tie off point. If you do get the darker color of the base of the fibers, that is ok. If you don’t like the look, you can trim off the fibers of the tail and remount new fibers to make the abdomen. That way you get more length. |
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Step 7: Tie in the peacock herl. Wind it to the bead and bind down. |
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Step 8: Tie in the hackle. Starling is a beautiful iridescent black feather, but small and more fragile. I use it on smaller flies. Quail is also very mobile in the water, but a little larger. |
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Step 9: Tie off the hackle and you are done. Use some head cement if you like. |
Bead Head Soft Hackle Pheasant Tail Nymph |