Pheasant Tail Nymph

Pheasant Tail Nymph

Thread; Brown
Hook; Mustad 3906B #16
Weight; .010 lead wire
Tail; Pheasant Tail tips
Rib; small copper wire
Abdomen; pheasant tail fibers
Wing pad; pheasant tail fibers
Thorax; peacock herl
Legs; pheasant tail tips

Here are some of the Materials I use and good soothing music gives me a little more patience.

1. Thread base shank of hook and bring thread to where it hangs down touching the point of the hook.

2. Counter wrap .010 lead wire from this point forward leaving plenty of room behind hook eye. Bring thread to hook bend.

 3. Pull some pheasant tail fibers off a canter tail of a pheasant. I use the fibers that has the brownish fuzzy ends. Maybe around 8 to 10 fibers. Measure the tips for the tail at 3/4 the hook length. Tie down fibers at bend as shown.

 4. Tie in copper wire. A couple of wraps behind the pheasant strands and a few wraps in front. Bring thread to just in front of lead wire.

 5. I use a wire clamp tool and grab the pheasant tail fibers by the ends. I’ll twist the fibers a turn just before wrapping the body.

  

 6. Wrap over the copper wire and then wind the fibers forward with even tight wraps. If the fibers start splitting apart twist the fibers with the tool as you go.
When you get in front of the lead wire tie off and clip ends.

7. Counter wrap the copper wire in open wraps to where you tied in the pheasant tail body. Counter wrapping will keep the fibers from coming apart from the fish teeth. Clip off wire and secure.

8. Bring thread about 1/3 back from the hook eye.

9. Measure about 7-8 pheasant tail fibers the length of the hook.

 10. Tie down fibers 1/3 way back from the hook eye
Trim loose ends of fibers and secure. Bring thread back to right in front of fibers.

11. Tie in two strips of peacock herl. Bring thread to just shy of hook eye.

12. Wrap herl, one wrap in front of other, to thread and tie down.

 13. Trim herl and bring thread right behind hook eye.

14. Fold loose pheasant tail fibers forward over herl to hook eye. Try to lay them flat as you secure with a few of thread wraps.

15. Spit pheasant tail end in front of hook eye.

16. With thumb and finger push the loose fibers back along side of thorax and secure behind hook eye.

 17. I use a half hitch tube, with two turns of the thread, to slide the thread behind hook eye. Or you can whip finish.
I add head cement to thread head and if you want coat wing pad with head cement or rod varnish.

~doubletaper

Dt's Ant

Aunt Vis

  For the past few years I’ve been looking for an ant pattern that was easy to tie, fit the profile and was easy to see. I’ve tried my hand at tying something up but failed for some time. I finally came up with this and after showing it on a fly tying sight people liked it so I decided to do a tutorial on it. 

Aunt Vis

 

 Material; Not much. Trim a narrow piece of black closed cell foam, a good grade of black hackle 1 size undersize, a good pair of scissors and Zap a Gap is important.

Hook; #16 94840 Mustad

Thread; Black 8/0
Underbody; Closed cell foam, mid hook shank to back to bend
Abdomen; Black closed cell foam
Legs; black hackle to fit size #18 hook
Wing; white poly
Thorax; black closed cell foam

1. Thread base hook shank and bring thread about mid point on hook shank. Add Zap a Gap glue on top of thread. (this will hold foam in place)

2. Tie down closed cell foam towards back of hook to bend. Bring thread back to tie in point.

3. Abdomen. Fold cell foam over underbody and tie down.

4. Thread over a small section of the cell foam forming a narrow section between abdomen and thorax.

Tie in black hackle up against abdomen with hackle extending over hook bend.

5. Legs. Usually one or two wraps of good grade hackle is all you need for legs.

6. Wing post. Bring thread just behind loose cell foam and tie in wing post angling back through legs.

7. Bring thread just in front of loose foam and wrap thread to just shy of hook eye.

8. Thorax. Fold foam towards hook eye and tie down behind hook eye.

10; Finished ant

Here you can trim wing post to the length you want. Take a black permanent marker and cover wing post ends on thorax. Trim any excess to get a good profile of the ant. I always add a dab of head cement on finished head thread.

~doubletaper