Skip to main content
Subscribe to the Magazine

Get The Magazine

Subscribe & Save.

Digital Now Included!

Subscribe Now

Tying the Irresistable Pheasant Tail Nymph Fly

This mayfly attractor nymph is a guide fly for the ages.

Pheasant Tail Nymph Recipe

  • Hook: TMC 100SP-Bl #14-20
  • Thread: 8/0 Rusty Brown
  • Rib: Fine Copper Wire
  • Tail, abdomen, wingcase, legs: Natural Pheasant Tail Fibers
  • Thorax: Peacock Herl

Tying The Pheasant Tail

Tying The Pheasant Tail Step 1 of 12

Start the thread at the 70 % point and tie in a piece of fine copper wire. Wrap back over the wire to the bend of the hook.

Tying The Pheasant Tail Step 2 of 12

Even the tips of four pheasant tail fibers and tie them in with one wrap of thread at the bend of the hook. The tails should be about 2/3rds of a shank length long.

Tying The Pheasant Tail Step 3 of 12

Lift the butt ends of the pheasant tail fibers up and out of the way while you wrap the thread forward to the 70% point, forming a tapered underbody.

Tying The Pheasant Tail Step 4 of 12

Wrap the pheasant tail fibers forward to the starting point and tie them off on the top of the hook.

Tying The Pheasant Tail Step 5 of 12

Spiral wrap the wire forward over the abdomen to the starting point, Tie off and clip the wire.

Tying The Pheasant Tail Step 6 of 12

Fold the butt ends of the pheasant tail fibers back over the front of the abdomen and tie them down so they overlap back to the sixty percent point.

Tying The Pheasant Tail Step 7 of 12

Tie in a small bunch of peacock herl behind the eye and wrap back over it to the base of the wingcase.

Tying The Pheasant Tail Step 8 of 12

Wrap the peacock forward to just behind the eye. Tie off and trim the herl.

Tying The Pheasant Tail Step 9 of 12

Fold the pheasant tail fibers forward over the peacock thorax and tie them down behind the eye.

Tying The Pheasant Tail Step 10 of 12

Pull one strand of pheasant tail back on the each side of the hook and bind them in place with two turns of thread.

Tying The Pheasant Tail Step 11 of 12

Break off the remaining two strands of pheasant tail, build a smooth head over the butt end and whip finish the thread.

Tying The Pheasant Tail Step 12 of 12

Clip the legs so they are just a touch longer than the wingcase.

Finished Pheasant Tail

GET THE NEWSLETTER Join the List and Never Miss a Thing.

Sign Me Up

Recommended Articles

Orvis Bug-Out Backpack

Ross Purnell

Miss Mayfly Women's Breathable Wader

Fly Fisherman

How to Remove Wind Knots and Snarls from Leaders and Tippet

Jay Nichols

Tying the Kamikaze Sculpin

Charlie Craven

Temps for Trout: How to Catch Fish that Behave Hot n Cold

Hilary Hutcheson

Fly Tying Chip's Monster Magic Fly

Dwayne 'Chip' Cromarty

Shark Fly Fishing on the Flats

Oliver White

How to Get Close to Trout

Tom Rosenbauer

8 Best Fly Fishing Knots You Should Know How to Tie

Fly Fisherman Staff

Newman's Micro Matcher Fly Tying Video

Charlie Craven

Fly Tying the Perdigon Nymph

Charlie Craven

Recent Videos

Fly Fisherman's digital editor Josh Bergan shows us the gear and accessories that he has found to be useful when hiking ...
How-To/Techniques

Tying Rene Harrop's Hairwing Dun Fly

Fly Fisherman's digital editor Josh Bergan shows us the gear and accessories that he has found to be useful when hiking ...
How-To/Techniques

Tying Barr's Damsel Fly

Fly Fisherman's digital editor Josh Bergan shows us the gear and accessories that he has found to be useful when hiking ...
Gear

Tying the Pheasant Tail Nymph Fly

Fly Fisherman's digital editor Josh Bergan shows us the gear and accessories that he has found to be useful when hiking ...
How-To/Techniques

Tying the Hare's Ear Fly

Fly Fisherman's digital editor Josh Bergan shows us the gear and accessories that he has found to be useful when hiking ...
How-To/Techniques

Tying the Famous Woolly Bugger

Fly Fisherman's digital editor Josh Bergan shows us the gear and accessories that he has found to be useful when hiking ...
How-To/Techniques

Tying the RS2 Mayfly Emerger Fly

Fly Fisherman's digital editor Josh Bergan shows us the gear and accessories that he has found to be useful when hiking ...
Destinations/Species

Free Fly Presents “Sage”

Fly Fisherman's digital editor Josh Bergan shows us the gear and accessories that he has found to be useful when hiking ...
Gear

Tying the Sparkle Caddis Pupa Fly

Fly Fisherman's digital editor Josh Bergan shows us the gear and accessories that he has found to be useful when hiking ...
Fly Tying

Perdigon Fly

Fly Fisherman's digital editor Josh Bergan shows us the gear and accessories that he has found to be useful when hiking ...
News

Mag Promo April-May 2023

Fly Fisherman's digital editor Josh Bergan shows us the gear and accessories that he has found to be useful when hiking ...
Gear

Finding and Catching Trout in Mountain Lakes

Fly Fisherman's digital editor Josh Bergan shows us the gear and accessories that he has found to be useful when hiking ...
Destinations/Species

Packing for Fly Fishing Mountain Lakes

See All Videos
Fly Fisherman Magazine Covers Print and Tablet Versions

GET THE MAGAZINE Subscribe & Save

Digital Now Included!

SUBSCRIBE NOW

Give a Gift   |   Subscriber Services

PREVIEW THIS MONTH'S ISSUE

Buy Digital Single Issues

Magazine App Logo

Don't miss an issue.
Buy single digital issue for your phone or tablet.

Buy Single Digital Issue on the Fly Fisherman App

Other Magazines

North American Whitetail

North American Whitetail

Subscribe
North American Whitetail
Subscribe
Rifleshooter

Rifleshooter

Subscribe
Rifleshooter
Subscribe
Wild Fowl

Wild Fowl

Subscribe
Wild Fowl
Subscribe
Florida Sportsman

Florida Sportsman

Subscribe
Florida Sportsman
Subscribe

See All Other Magazines

Special Interest Magazines

2022 Fly Fishing Made Easy

2022 Fly Fishing Made Easy

Buy A Copy
2022 Fly Fishing Made Easy
Buy A Copy
2022 Catfish In-Sider Guide

2022 Catfish In-Sider Guide

Buy A Copy
2022 Catfish In-Sider Guide
Buy A Copy
2022 Kayak Fishing Fun

2022 Kayak Fishing Fun

Buy A Copy
2022 Kayak Fishing Fun
Buy A Copy
2022 In-Fisherman Bass Guide

2022 In-Fisherman Bass Guide

Buy A Copy
2022 In-Fisherman Bass Guide
Buy A Copy
2022 In-Fisherman Bass Guide Gear Box

2022 In-Fisherman Bass Guide Gear Box

Buy A Copy
2022 In-Fisherman Bass Guide Gear Box
Buy A Copy
2022 In-Fisherman Walleye Guide

2022 In-Fisherman Walleye Guide

Buy A Copy
2022 In-Fisherman Walleye Guide
Buy A Copy

See All Special Interest Magazines

More You May Be Interested In

In-Fisherman
Game & Fish
Florida Sportsman
BassFan
Petersen's Hunting
North American Whitetail
Bow Hunting
Bowhunter
Wildfowl
Gun Dog Magazine
Deer Week
Guns & Ammo
RifleShooter
Shooting Times
Handguns
Firearms News
Outdoor Channel
The Sportsman Channel
World Fishing Network
My Outdoor TV
I Am Sportsman

Phone Icon

Get Digital Access.

All Fly Fisherman subscribers now have digital access to their magazine content. This means you have the option to read your magazine on most popular phones and tablets.

To get started, click the link below to visit mymagnow.com and learn how to access your digital magazine.

Get Digital Access

Not a Subscriber?
Subscribe Now

Enjoying What You're Reading?

Get a Full Year
of Guns & Ammo
& Digital Access.

Offer only for new subscribers.

Subscribe Now