Pheasant Tail Nymph Fly

Tied by Umpqua Feather Merchants.

Probably one of the oldest and most popular nymphs around today, the Pheasant Tail Nymph (or PTN) is a famed staple that has fooled trout for decades. Born along the banks of the chalkstream River Avon in England in the early 1900s, River Keeper Frank Sawyer’s constant observation of the fish and their water brought him to break away from the dry fly fishing that was so typical of the time in favor of something that would sink. Fast. And so became the Pheasant Tail Nymph--originally lacking today’s advancement of a peacock herl thorax, the first Pheasant Tail Nymphs were constructed with wire and pheasant tail fibers in an attempt to create a skinny fly that sunk quickly and matched the Baetis nymphs in local chalkstreams. Today, we find the fly to be a little less crude, yet effective as always when it comes to imitating mayfly nymphs found in rivers, streams, ponds, and anywhere else you might cast a nymph.

The Pheasant Tail Nymph can be fished on its own or in a rig of multiple nymphs and functions equally well as an imitator or attractor when searching new water. The Pheasant Tail is typically fished in a wide range of sizes from 12-24 along the water’s bottom, but whenever mayflies are hatching, it can be effective to fish the fly without any additional weight higher in the column to match emerging nymphs. A classic pattern that’s synonymous with nymphing tactics old and new, the Pheasant Tail Nymph is one that you don’t want to be without. 

Colors Available:

Black, Natural

Sizes Available:

18, 20, 12, 14, 16, 22, 24

Due to the handmade nature of this product, the product you receive may vary from the photos. Please note that flies that are not individually packaged are not returnable.