Copper Glint Flashback Mayfly Nymph
by @dekasso
Flashback Pheasant Tail Nymph · Nymph
Copper light on a cold river stone
A beadhead flashback mayfly nymph, size 16, in pheasant tail, peacock and pearl, for trout and grayling in riffles and runs.
A flashback mayfly nymph rests on a wet river stone, copper bead catching the light. It carries a barred mallard flank tail, a russet pheasant tail body ribbed in copper wire, peacock herl and a pearl back.
- Pattern
- Flashback Pheasant Tail Nymph
- Imitates
- Mayfly nymphs active before a hatch, typically spring through early autumn
- Hook
- size 16
- Tippet
- 5Xrule of three
- Copper bead for quick sink
- Pearl flashback over peacock thorax
- Pheasant tail body, copper wire rib
- Barred mallard flank tail
- Size 16 nymph hook
On the water
A copper bead glows at the head. Behind it, a strip of pearl folds over a green tuft of peacock herl, and the russet body is banded in fine copper wire. A long, barred mallard tail fans out past the bend.
Drift it through riffles and runs where mayfly nymphs tumble off the cobble. Let the bead take it near the bottom, keep the drift dead, then lift the rod at the end of the swing so it rises like a nymph heading up to hatch.
Pearl Mylar tinsel makes the flashback. Fold the rear end under itself before you pull it over the thorax, so the back edge is a clean rounded fold that will not fray or flare after a few fish.
Rigging
- Tippet
- 5Xhook size divided by three
- Leader
- Nine feet, with fluorocarbon tippet to get it down
- Fish on 5X or 6X fluorocarbon tippet, 2 to 4 feet below an indicator in riffles.
- Add a split shot above the knot in deep or fast runs so it ticks along the cobble.
- Let it swing up at the end of the drift; a slow lift mimics a nymph rising to hatch.
Where and when
- Hatch
- Mayfly nymphs active before a hatch, typically spring through early autumn
- Target
- Trout, Grayling
- Water type
- Riffles, runs and pocket water over cobble
- Also fishes
- Also fishes well on stillwater edges on a slow figure-eight retrieve, and as a dropper under a dry fly on clear, low summer water.
Make it yourself
Intermediate7 materials · 10 steps
- Pattern
- Flashback Pheasant Tail Nymph
- Style
- Nymph
- Hook
- 2X-long nymph hooksize 16
- Thread
- Brown 8/0
Materials in the order they go on the hook
- BeadCopper bead, 2.8 mm
- TailMallard flank fibers
- RibCopper wire
- BodyPheasant tail fibers
- WingPearl Mylar tinsel
- ThoraxPeacock herl
- HeadBrown 8/0
Details
- Imitates
- Mayfly nymph
- Colors
- Copper, Russet brown, Pearl, Peacock green, Black and white barred
How to tie it
The steps, from first wrap to whip finish (10)
- 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 dam so the bead sits tight.
- Tie in a bunch of mallard flank fibers at the bend, tail about the length of the hook shank.
- Tie in a length of copper wire at the base of the tail along the underside of the shank.
- Tie in four pheasant tail fibers by their tips and wrap them forward to cover the rear two thirds of the shank.
- Counter-wrap the copper wire over the body in five or six even turns and tie it off.
- Tie in a strip of pearl Mylar tinsel on top at the front of the body, shiny side down, fold its rear end under itself, and leave it trailing back.
- Tie in three peacock herls and wrap a full, rounded thorax up to the bead.
- Pull the pearl tinsel forward over the thorax, keep it flat and centered, and tie it down behind the bead.
- Trim the tinsel tag, build a neat brown thread collar behind the bead and whip finish.
Proportions (4)
- Tail: about one shank length, fibers fanned slightly.
- Body: rear two thirds of the shank, tapering a little toward the tail.
- Thorax: front third of the shank, roughly twice the body's diameter.
- Wing case: the full length of the thorax, as wide as the thorax top.
Tips (4)
- Wrap the copper wire opposite to the pheasant tail so the fragile fibers are locked down.
- Pick out a few peacock herl fibers under the thorax to suggest legs and gills.
- Keep the tinsel flat while pulling it forward; a twist dulls the pearl flash.
- Use tight, close thread wraps under the body so the taper stays smooth.
Common mistakes (4)
- Crowding the bead leaves no room for the collar; stop the thorax one bead-width short.
- An overlong tail fouls on the hook bend; measure it against the shank before tying down.
- Loose rib wraps slide and expose the body; space them evenly and keep tension firm.
- A frayed flashback edge breaks quickly; fold the rear of the tinsel under before tying it over.
Every kit size
Materials only
Size 16 · Materials only · 12 flies
$44.80
$3.73 a fly
Includes 2X-long nymph hook · Copper bead · and 8 more
Every item in this kit · 10 items
Hooks & beads
- 2X-long nymph hook$6.50
- Copper bead, 2.8 mm$7.50
Thread & wire
- Brown 8/0 thread$2.95
- Copper wire$3.25
- Pearl Mylar tinsel$3.25
Materials
- Other material: Mallard flank fibers$4.50
- Pheasant tail fibers$4.95
- Peacock herl$5.95
Finishing
- Head cement$5.95
Guide
- Printed recipe and tying stepsIncluded
Size 16 · Materials only · 48 flies
$73.29
$1.53 a fly
Bought separately $77.15 · you save $3.86
Includes 2X-long nymph hook · Copper bead · and 8 more
Every item in this kit · 10 items
Hooks & beads
- 2X-long nymph hook$13
- Copper bead, 2.8 mm$15
Thread & wire
- Brown 8/0 thread$5.90
- Copper wire$3.25
- Pearl Mylar tinsel$3.25
Materials
- Other material: Mallard flank fibers$9
- Pheasant tail fibers$9.90
- Peacock herl$11.90
Finishing
- Head cement$5.95
Guide
- Printed recipe and tying stepsIncluded
Size 16 · Materials only · 144 flies
$167.38
$1.16 a fly
Bought separately $190.20 · you save $22.82
Includes 2X-long nymph hook · Copper bead · and 8 more
Every item in this kit · 10 items
Hooks & beads
- 2X-long nymph hook$35
- Copper bead, 2.8 mm$41
Thread & wire
- Brown 8/0 thread$17.70
- Copper wire$9.75
- Pearl Mylar tinsel$9.75
Materials
- Other material: Mallard flank fibers$22.50
- Pheasant tail fibers$24.75
- 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
$194.80
$16.23 a fly
Includes 2X-long nymph hook · Copper bead · and 17 more
Every item in this kit · 19 items
Hooks & beads
- 2X-long nymph hook$6.50
- Copper bead, 2.8 mm$7.50
Thread & wire
- Brown 8/0 thread$2.95
- Copper wire$3.25
- Pearl Mylar tinsel$3.25
Materials
- Other material: Mallard flank fibers$4.50
- Pheasant tail fibers$4.95
- 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
$215.79
$4.50 a fly
Bought separately $227.15 · you save $11.36
Includes 2X-long nymph hook · Copper bead · and 17 more
Every item in this kit · 19 items
Hooks & beads
- 2X-long nymph hook$13
- Copper bead, 2.8 mm$15
Thread & wire
- Brown 8/0 thread$5.90
- Copper wire$3.25
- Pearl Mylar tinsel$3.25
Materials
- Other material: Mallard flank fibers$9
- Pheasant tail fibers$9.90
- 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
$299.38
$2.08 a fly
Bought separately $340.20 · you save $40.82
Includes 2X-long nymph hook · Copper bead · and 17 more
Every item in this kit · 19 items
Hooks & beads
- 2X-long nymph hook$35
- Copper bead, 2.8 mm$41
Thread & wire
- Brown 8/0 thread$17.70
- Copper wire$9.75
- Pearl Mylar tinsel$9.75
Materials
- Other material: Mallard flank fibers$22.50
- Pheasant tail fibers$24.75
- 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
How it was made
2 iterations led here; the saved one is marked
1
2 Saved
Remixes
Remixed from
- Copper Glint Flashback Mayfly Nymphyou are here
No remixes yet — make your own version.
Where this came from
“tuck the back of wing under itself so its a flashback”
fly pattern · made
0 — nothing entered the score yet, at the Derby's published weights, since . Views are not counted.
- flashback nymph
- pheasant tail
- mayfly nymph
- copper bead
- beadhead
- peacock herl
- pearl
- trout fly
- grayling
- nymphing
- size 16