Faceted Copper Pheasant Tail Nymph
by @john
Flashback Pheasant Tail Nymph · Nymph
Copper glints at the head of the run
A size 16 flashback pheasant tail nymph with a faceted copper bead, tied to imitate mayfly nymphs for trout in riffles and runs.
A flashback pheasant tail nymph with a faceted copper bead, held in the vise on a worn wooden bench. Rust pheasant fibers, copper wire, a pearl wing case and a spiky dark thorax make up the fly.
- Pattern
- Flashback Pheasant Tail Nymph
- Imitates
- Small mayfly nymphs such as Baetis, typically spring and fall
- Hook
- size 16
- Tippet
- 5Xrule of three
- Faceted copper bead for depth and flash
- Pearl flashback wing case
- Copper wire ribbing over pheasant fibers
- Spiky hare's ear thorax
- Size 16 nymph hook
On the water
A faceted copper bead throws sparks off its flat sides. Behind it sits a pearl wing case over a buggy, dark thorax. The slim rust body is banded with copper wire, and a wisp of pheasant fibers trails off the back.
Drop it into a riffle and let the bead take it down to the stones. Dead drift it under an indicator, or let it swing up at the end of the drift the way a nymph rises to hatch.
Pheasant tail fibers are fragile, so the copper wire matters. Counter-wrap it over the body in even turns and it locks every fiber in place, keeping the slim profile intact through many fish and many rocks.
Rigging
- Tippet
- 5Xhook size divided by three
- Leader
- Nine feet, with fluorocarbon tippet to get it down
- Fish on 5X or 6X fluorocarbon tippet to keep the drift natural.
- Set the indicator about one and a half times the water depth so the bead ticks bottom.
- Lift the rod slowly at the end of the drift to imitate an emerging nymph.
Where and when
- Hatch
- Small mayfly nymphs such as Baetis, typically spring and fall
- Target
- Trout, Grayling
- Water type
- Riffles, runs and pocket water
- Also fishes
- Also works as a dropper below a dry fly, in slow pools on a long leader, or as the point fly in a tight-line nymph rig.
Make it yourself
Intermediate6 materials · 10 steps
- Pattern
- Flashback Pheasant Tail Nymph
- Style
- Nymph
- Hook
- 1X-long nymph hooksize 16
- Thread
- brown 8/0
Materials in the order they go on the hook
- Beadfaceted copper tungsten bead
- Tailpheasant tail fibers
- Ribcopper wire
- Bodypheasant tail fibers
- Wing casepearl flashback tinsel
- Thoraxdark hare's ear dubbing
Details
- Imitates
- Mayfly nymph
- Colors
- Copper, Rust, Dark umber, Pearl
How to tie it
The steps, from first wrap to whip finish (10)
- Slide the faceted copper bead onto the hook, small hole first, and set the hook in the vise.
- Start the brown thread behind the bead and wrap a smooth base back to the bend.
- Tie in four to six pheasant tail fibers as a tail, about half the shank length.
- Tie in the copper wire at the bend along the underside of the shank.
- Tie in a few pheasant tail fibers by their tips and wrap them forward to two thirds of the shank to form the body.
- Counter-wrap the copper wire forward in five even turns and tie it off.
- Tie in a strip of pearl flashback tinsel on top, pointing back over the body.
- Dub a thin noodle of hare's ear and build a thorax slightly fatter than the body.
- Pull the pearl tinsel forward over the thorax and tie it down behind the bead.
- Trim the excess tinsel, build a neat thread collar against the bead and whip finish.
Proportions (4)
- Tail: about half the shank length.
- Body: the rear two thirds of the shank, slim and tapered.
- Thorax: the front third, a little fatter than the body.
- Wing case: covers the full thorax, no wider than the bead.
Tips (3)
- Wrap the pheasant fibers with the thread twisted around them for a tougher body.
- Pick out the hare's ear thorax with a dubbing needle to suggest legs.
- Keep the thread collar behind the bead small and tidy for a clean finish.
Common mistakes (3)
- A bulky body hides the slim nymph shape; use fewer fibers and taper gently.
- A tail that runs too long looks unnatural; measure against half the shank before tying down.
- Crowding the bead leaves no room for the wing case; stop the thorax a little short.
Every kit size
Materials only
Size 16 · Materials only · 12 flies
$41.05
$3.42 a fly
Includes 1X-long nymph hook · Faceted copper tungsten bead · and 7 more
Every item in this kit · 9 items
Hooks & beads
- 1X-long nymph hook$6.50
- Faceted copper tungsten bead$9
Thread & wire
- Brown 8/0 thread$2.95
- Copper wire$3.25
Materials
- Pheasant tail fibers$4.95
- Pearl flashback tinsel$3.95
- Dark hare's ear dubbing$4.50
Finishing
- Head cement$5.95
Guide
- Printed recipe and tying stepsIncluded
Size 16 · Materials only · 48 flies
$75.86
$1.58 a fly
Bought separately $79.85 · you save $3.99
Includes 1X-long nymph hook · Faceted copper tungsten bead · and 7 more
Every item in this kit · 9 items
Hooks & beads
- 1X-long nymph hook$13
- Faceted copper tungsten bead$18
Thread & wire
- Brown 8/0 thread$2.95
- Copper wire$3.25
Materials
- Pheasant tail fibers$19.80
- Pearl flashback tinsel$7.90
- Dark hare's ear dubbing$9
Finishing
- Head cement$5.95
Guide
- Printed recipe and tying stepsIncluded
Size 16 · Materials only · 144 flies
$169.71
$1.18 a fly
Bought separately $192.85 · you save $23.14
Includes 1X-long nymph hook · Faceted copper tungsten bead · and 7 more
Every item in this kit · 9 items
Hooks & beads
- 1X-long nymph hook$35
- Faceted copper tungsten bead$50
Thread & wire
- Brown 8/0 thread$8.85
- Copper wire$9.75
Materials
- Pheasant tail fibers$49.50
- Pearl flashback tinsel$15.80
- Dark hare's ear dubbing$18
Finishing
- Head cement$5.95
Guide
- Printed recipe and tying stepsIncluded
With vise & tools
Size 16 · With vise & tools · 12 flies
$191.05
$15.92 a fly
Includes 1X-long nymph hook · Faceted copper tungsten bead · and 16 more
Every item in this kit · 18 items
Hooks & beads
- 1X-long nymph hook$6.50
- Faceted copper tungsten bead$9
Thread & wire
- Brown 8/0 thread$2.95
- Copper wire$3.25
Materials
- Pheasant tail fibers$4.95
- Pearl flashback tinsel$3.95
- Dark hare's ear dubbing$4.50
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
$218.36
$4.55 a fly
Bought separately $229.85 · you save $11.49
Includes 1X-long nymph hook · Faceted copper tungsten bead · and 16 more
Every item in this kit · 18 items
Hooks & beads
- 1X-long nymph hook$13
- Faceted copper tungsten bead$18
Thread & wire
- Brown 8/0 thread$2.95
- Copper wire$3.25
Materials
- Pheasant tail fibers$19.80
- Pearl flashback tinsel$7.90
- Dark hare's ear dubbing$9
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
$301.71
$2.10 a fly
Bought separately $342.85 · you save $41.14
Includes 1X-long nymph hook · Faceted copper tungsten bead · and 16 more
Every item in this kit · 18 items
Hooks & beads
- 1X-long nymph hook$35
- Faceted copper tungsten bead$50
Thread & wire
- Brown 8/0 thread$8.85
- Copper wire$9.75
Materials
- Pheasant tail fibers$49.50
- Pearl flashback tinsel$15.80
- Dark hare's ear dubbing$18
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
How it was made
3 iterations led here; the saved one is marked
1
2
3 Saved
Remixes
No remixes yet — make your own version.
Where this came from
“remove the wings and feet but keep the tail”
fly pattern · made
0 — nothing entered the score yet, at the Derby's published weights, since . Views are not counted.
- pheasant tail
- flashback
- nymph
- mayfly
- copper bead
- faceted bead
- trout fly
- baetis
- fly tying