Peacock Collar Pheasant Tail Nymph
by @dekasso
Pheasant Tail Nymph · Nymph
A copper glint on a sunlit river stone
A copper bead Pheasant Tail Nymph, size 16, with a peacock herl thorax, for trout feeding on mayfly nymphs near the bottom.
A Pheasant Tail Nymph with a polished copper bead, a slim ribbed body and a bright peacock collar. Russet pheasant tail fibers form the tail, body and wing case, wound with copper wire over a thorax of green peacock herl.
- Pattern
- Pheasant Tail Nymph
- Imitates
- Mayfly nymphs drifting before a hatch, typically spring through autumn
- Hook
- size 16
- Tippet
- 5Xrule of three
- Copper bead gets it down fast
- Copper wire rib protects the body
- Peacock herl thorax with green sheen
- Pheasant tail legs from the wing case
- Size 16 nymph hook
On the water
Russet pheasant fibers fan out into a long tail. Copper wire bands the slim body, and a tuft of peacock herl flashes green under a glossy wing case. The bead up front is round and bright as a new penny.
Drop it into riffles and pocket water, where mayfly nymphs tumble loose from the stones. Let it dead-drift close to the bottom, then let it swing and rise at the end of the drift.
Copper wire is what holds this fly together. Wind it the opposite way to the pheasant fibers, in open even turns, so it locks the fragile fibers down and still lets the russet colour show between the bands.
Rigging
- Tippet
- 5Xhook size divided by three
- Leader
- Nine feet, with fluorocarbon tippet to get it down
- Tie it on 5X or 6X tippet and add split shot when the riffle is deep or quick.
- Fish it as the point fly in a two-nymph rig, or hang it under a buoyant dry.
- Let it dead-drift near the bottom, then lift the rod tip at the end of the drift.
Where and when
- Hatch
- Mayfly nymphs drifting before a hatch, typically spring through autumn
- Target
- Trout
- Water type
- Riffles, pocket water and current seams over cobble
- Also fishes
- Works on spring creeks and tailwaters, and as a slow-sinking dropper under a dry fly in clear, low water.
Make it yourself
Beginner6 materials · 11 steps
- Pattern
- Pheasant Tail Nymph
- Style
- Nymph
- Hook
- Standard nymph hooksize 16
- Thread
- Brown 8/0
Materials in the order they go on the hook
- BeadCopper bead
- TailPheasant tail fibers
- RibCopper wire
- BodyPheasant tail fibers
- WingPheasant tail fibers
- ThoraxPeacock herl
Details
- Imitates
- Mayfly nymph
- Colors
- Copper, Russet brown, Peacock green
How to tie it
The steps, from first wrap to whip finish (11)
- Slide the copper bead onto the hook, small hole first, and set the hook in the vise.
- Start the brown thread behind the bead and build a small thread dam to keep it in place.
- Tie in four to six pheasant tail fibers at the bend for a tail about one shank length.
- Tie in a length of copper wire at the bend along the underside of the shank.
- Wind the remaining pheasant fibers forward to two-thirds up the shank and tie them off.
- Counter-wrap the copper wire forward in five or six even turns and tie it off.
- Tie in a fresh bunch of pheasant tail fibers by their butts, tips pointing back, for the wing case.
- Tie in two or three peacock herls and wind them forward to just behind the bead.
- Fold the wing case fibers over the thorax and tie them down behind the bead.
- Split the fiber tips to each side and sweep them back as legs.
- Wrap a few turns of copper wire behind the bead for a collar, then whip finish.
Proportions (4)
- Tail: about one hook shank long, fibers kept together.
- Body: the rear two-thirds of the shank, slim and tapered.
- Thorax: the front third of the shank, plumper than the body.
- Legs: reach roughly to the hook point.
Tips (4)
- Twist the pheasant fibers lightly with the wire before winding for a tougher body.
- Twist the peacock herl around the thread for a stronger thorax.
- Keep the thread wraps thin under the body so the taper stays slim.
- Choose long pheasant fibers so the wing case and legs come from one bunch.
Common mistakes (4)
- Winding the wire the same way as the fibers buries it. Counter-wrap it.
- An oversized tail looks clumsy. Measure it against the shank before tying down.
- A bulky thorax crowds the bead. Leave a small gap behind the bead for the collar.
- Loose wing case fibers split apart. Pull them snug and tie down with firm wraps.
Every kit size
Materials only
Size 16 · Materials only · 12 flies
$42
$3.50 a fly
Includes Standard nymph hook · Copper bead · and 6 more
Every item in this kit · 8 items
Hooks & beads
- Standard nymph hook$6.50
- Copper bead$7.50
Thread & wire
- Brown 8/0 thread$2.95
- Copper wire$3.25
Materials
- Pheasant tail fibers$9.90
- Peacock herl$5.95
Finishing
- Head cement$5.95
Guide
- Printed recipe and tying stepsIncluded
Size 16 · Materials only · 48 flies
$72.96
$1.52 a fly
Bought separately $76.80 · you save $3.84
Includes Standard nymph hook · Copper bead · and 6 more
Every item in this kit · 8 items
Hooks & beads
- Standard nymph hook$13
- Copper bead$15
Thread & wire
- Brown 8/0 thread$2.95
- Copper wire$3.25
Materials
- Pheasant tail fibers$24.75
- Peacock herl$11.90
Finishing
- Head cement$5.95
Guide
- Printed recipe and tying stepsIncluded
Size 16 · Materials only · 144 flies
$174.77
$1.21 a fly
Bought separately $198.60 · you save $23.83
Includes Standard nymph hook · Copper bead · and 6 more
Every item in this kit · 8 items
Hooks & beads
- Standard nymph hook$35
- Copper bead$41
Thread & wire
- Brown 8/0 thread$8.85
- Copper wire$9.75
Materials
- Pheasant tail fibers$74.25
- Peacock herl$23.80
Finishing
- Head cement$5.95
Guide
- Printed recipe and tying stepsIncluded
With vise & tools
Size 16 · With vise & tools · 12 flies
$192
$16 a fly
Includes Standard nymph hook · Copper bead · and 15 more
Every item in this kit · 17 items
Hooks & beads
- Standard nymph hook$6.50
- Copper bead$7.50
Thread & wire
- Brown 8/0 thread$2.95
- Copper wire$3.25
Materials
- Pheasant tail fibers$9.90
- Peacock herl$5.95
Finishing
- Head cement$5.95
Tools
- Rotary pedestal vise$79
- Ceramic bobbin$14
- Fine-point scissors$16
- Whip finisher$9
- Hackle pliers$7
- Bodkin$5
- Bobbin threader$4
- Dubbing wax$4
- Canvas tool roll$12
Guide
- Printed recipe and tying stepsIncluded
Size 16 · With vise & tools · 48 flies
$215.46
$4.49 a fly
Bought separately $226.80 · you save $11.34
Includes Standard nymph hook · Copper bead · and 15 more
Every item in this kit · 17 items
Hooks & beads
- Standard nymph hook$13
- Copper bead$15
Thread & wire
- Brown 8/0 thread$2.95
- Copper wire$3.25
Materials
- Pheasant tail fibers$24.75
- Peacock herl$11.90
Finishing
- Head cement$5.95
Tools
- Rotary pedestal vise$79
- Ceramic bobbin$14
- Fine-point scissors$16
- Whip finisher$9
- Hackle pliers$7
- Bodkin$5
- Bobbin threader$4
- Dubbing wax$4
- Canvas tool roll$12
Guide
- Printed recipe and tying stepsIncluded
Size 16 · With vise & tools · 144 flies
$306.77
$2.13 a fly
Bought separately $348.60 · you save $41.83
Includes Standard nymph hook · Copper bead · and 15 more
Every item in this kit · 17 items
Hooks & beads
- Standard nymph hook$35
- Copper bead$41
Thread & wire
- Brown 8/0 thread$8.85
- Copper wire$9.75
Materials
- Pheasant tail fibers$74.25
- Peacock herl$23.80
Finishing
- Head cement$5.95
Tools
- Rotary pedestal vise$79
- Ceramic bobbin$14
- Fine-point scissors$16
- Whip finisher$9
- Hackle pliers$7
- Bodkin$5
- Bobbin threader$4
- Dubbing wax$4
- Canvas tool roll$12
Guide
- Printed recipe and tying stepsIncluded
The creator
Remixes
1 remix of this
Where this came from
fly pattern · made
2 remixes
50 — from 2 remixes, at the Derby's published weights, since . Views are not counted.
- pheasant tail
- nymph
- copper bead
- mayfly
- peacock herl
- copper wire
- trout
- bead head
- size 16
- riffles