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Four Rivers / VierStromen
(Fly)Fishing the lowlands

The Pheasant Tail

The Pheasant Tail (PT) is a general-purpose pattern that is as old as the hills. It might be that it has been designed to imitate a specific insect but over the years it has become known as a pattern that is firmly rooted in the "It swims so it must be edible" category. In other words try it anytime and anywhere. I have caught trout, grayling, dace, bleak, roach, ide, rudd, perch, and bream (and more than once mini-pike of about 15 cm - aaah) on a PT, although not all on the same size hook.
Just like with the Vlokreeft (shrimp) in this pattern copper wire is used to rib and weight the fly. However calling the PT a weighted pattern is stretching it a bit. It has some weight to it but that doesn't make it a fast current pattern. There is a limit to how deep it can be fished in a current. Knowing that it is not a deep diver I would say it is a spring or summer pattern. Having said that I remember fishing for roach in deep winter. The only thing they were willing to take was a PT that was allowed to sink on its own accord. It took forever to go down. Because of that it moved ever so slowly through the strike zone. I think the fish took it out of boredom: a bit like a sleepy dog snaps at a fly.
However excellent circumstance to use a PT are when you see the swirls of the beating tails in the surface. Seeing those swirls means the fish are high up and actively hunting just below the surface. Allow the PT to sink just below the surface, vary your retrieval speed and don't forget to hold on to your rod.

List of materials:

Hook:TMC 100 (or your favourite nymph hook) #18 - 12
Tyingthread:8/0 of a dark colour.
Body:6 fibres of the centre feather of pheasant cock's tail.
Rib/weight:Copper wire.
Head:Tyingthread.

This is a not a difficult pattern, it could very well be the first pattern you learn. The only part that is slightly fiddly is the thorax cover. My advice is to take your time and redo something if you are not happy with it. I see many people (mostly men) who think that flytying is a timed sport: it is not. Slow down, be precise. Speed will come with the numbers.

This is not the only pattern for a PT, not by a long shot. Try searching the internet and you will see what I mean. This always happens with patterns that are easy to tie or widely used.
Nor is it the most traditional pattern that uses the copper wire as tyingthread. Pheasant fibres and wire are twined together and wound on. Beautiful, robust and a nightmare for untrained fingers. The method I present here is much kinder to the novice and the impatient alike.
However, do experiment. Try finding your own way of tying one. Add a red tail or add a hackle to create a dryfly. Try whatever you like but remember to fish them.

Pheasant Tail: binddraad opgezet.

Mount the thread a hook eyes width behind the hook eye. This is known as the shoulder of the fly. It is about one third of the hook length from the hook eye, just behind the head that you will create later on.

Pheasant Tail: copper wire ribbing tied in.

Tie the copper wire down. Start at the thread mounting point. Tie in with touching turns up to a point opposite the barb of the hook. This easily checked by letting go of the bobbin. The hanging thread will show where you are in relation to the hook barb.
Pheasant Tail: Fibre selection.

Take your pheasant tail feather and select about 6 fibres. The fibres we are looking for are as long as possible with intact tips. When you have found a likely bunch, gently stroke towards a right angle with the rib of the feather. Notice that by doing so the tips will even out, as shown in the photo. The idea is to get a clump of fibres with even tips that are still sticking together. If they do part try stroking them from rib to tip. Usually the will hook up again, if not the clump is still usable but tying the fly will be slightly harder.
Hold the clump of fibres in one hand and snip them off with the other as close to the rib as possible.

Phaisant Tail: maesuring the tail length.

The next step is measuring the tail. The tail will be formed by the tips of the fibres we just selected. The length of the tail is equal to the length of the hook. Measuring is easy: take the fibres between thumb and indexfinger of your right hand (if you are right-handed, that is). The tips should extend about a hood length. Offer the fibres up to the hook shank. If you your the thumbnail against the hook eye the tips should be equal with the farthest point in the hook bend.
Switch hands and offer the clump up on top of the hook shank, opposite the hook barb, where the thread is hanging with you left hand and tie in.
Pheasant Tail: tail tied in.

This is what a tied in tail looks like. Note that only three turns are used to tie it down, do not use too many turns.

Pheasant Tail: body tied.

Before you start on the body bring the tying thread to a point slightly further than the halfway point on the hook shank. Now, slightly twist the fibres. Be careful when you do this; a slight twist will strengthen the fibres, a lot of twist will break them.
Bring the twined fibres forward in touching turns. The body should end where the thread hangs.
Tie the fibres off in such a way that they are pointing up. This can be done by wrapping one turn of thread around the fibres so lock them in place and then pulling the fibres vertical. Secure the fibres with two more wraps. Keep pulling them up while you wrap. Do not cut the fibres off. They will be used to form the thorax cover and legs.

Pheasant Tail: ribbing and thorax

The next step is to rib the body and form the thorax. Both are done with the copper wire.
Wrap the copper wire once around the base of the tail to strengthen it, then wrap it forwards in open turns to where the thread is hanging. On a small hook there should be about three turns on a larger may be five. Tie the wire off with three turns of tying thread. Bring the tying thread forward to the hook eye.
Create the thorax by wrapping the copper wire from the point where the fibres are sticking up to the hook eye. Leave some room at the hook eye to make a head. Wrap back for a second layer and repeat until you have a small ball of copper wire in the thorax area. This will take around three layers. The biggest mistake here is not leaving enough room at the hook eye. Make sure you can still see the hook shank just behind the eye.
Tie the copper wire off at the hook eye (three turns) and snip off the waste.

Pheasant Tail: dekschildje

Next: the thorax cover. This consists of three layers of fibre.
First lay the fibres over the thorax. Make sure all fibres stay on top of the fly, keep taut and tie down with one turn. Check that all fibres are still on top.

Pheasant Tail: dekschildje

Bring the tying thread back in one turn to just behind the thorax.
Lay the fibres back over the thorax. Make sure all fibres are on top. Keep taut and tie down with one turn. Bring the tying thread with one turn back to just behind the eye.

Pheasant Tail: dekschildje

For the last time bring the fibres forward, make sure they are on top, keep taut and tie down using three turns.
The next step is optional but I think adding legs enhances the pattern so I always add them.
The legs are created from what remains of the fibres. Divide the clump of fibres into two: about 3 fibres to the left and three to the right. Coax them to the left and right but make sure the thorax does not shift. In other words: gently stroke, don't pull.
Keep the fibres swept back with thumb and indexfinger of your left hand. This may be tricky but keep your cool. If at first you don't succeed step away and go kick down a wall, or something. Remember; legs are optional.
While the left hand keeps the fibres swept back the right hand lays three turns of tyingthread to lock them in place. Let go and admire your work or untie and do it again. If you are happy: cut the legs to a length just longer than the thorax and whipfinish.
Last but not least take out the headcement and ad a few drops to the whipfinish and soak the thorax cover. The fly will really look bad when the thorax comes undone so I always make sure that that is not possible by adding a generous amount of headcement to it.
Your very own Pheasant Tail is ready.

Links:

Coming up with variations on a theme is a way of life for every flytier and there are not many patterns that have more variations than the Pheasant Tail.
To give you an idea I have added a couple of variations I use.

Alternative Pheasant Tail List of materials:
Hook:TMC 100 (or your favourite nymph hook) #16
Tyingthread:8/0 dark
Body:Fibres from the central feather of a tail of a cock pheasant.
Rib:Copper wire
Tail:Fibre tips and red wool.
Head:goldbead 2mm.

This is a very useful pattern. I have used it extensively on stillwaters, canals and rivers. This pattern can be fished in all kind of ways because of the goldbead. That little bit of weight in front keeps it down when fished fast and makes it move erratic in the current.

The next fly was my favourite for a long time and I think that it kind of shows. It is a basic variation: just a goldbead added.

Alternative Pheasant Tail two

List of materials:

Hook:TMC 100 (or your favourite nymph hook) #16
Tyingthread:8/0 dark
Body:Fibres from the central feather of a tail of a cock pheasant.
Rib:Copper wire
Tail:Fibre tips
Head:goldbead 2mm.

This is really a pattern in its own right but it is very similar to the Pheasant Tail so I will just present it as a variation: the Ritz-D.
Again it is a non-specific pattern that not really imitates anything. In this pattern peacock herls are used but the tying method is the same as that for the Pheasant Tail.

Alternative Pheasant Tail: the Ritz-D.

List of materials:

Hook:TMC 100 (or your favourite nymph hook) #14
Tyingthread:8/0 dark
Body:Peacock herls
Thorax cover:Peacock herls
Rib:Copper wire
Tail:Brown hackle fibres and red wool.
Head:Tyingthread