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Pheasant Tail Nymph
Brought to you by: www.KidFish.bc.ca
The KidFish website site designed to help students and teachers learn more about our fish, the freshwater world, and the craft of fly fishing.
This project is a local Prince George initiative, lead by Erich Franz, school teacher, avid fly fisherman and project co-ordinator. His vision has been implemented by Karen Heathman of Indigo Ink Graphic Design, web site researcher, writer, and designer.
This site is meant to help children in grades 5 to 7 learn more about their environment. It has been designed as a web-based tool so that it is accessible to a wide array of children. This project is designed to fit within the BC School Curriculum and touches on a broad number of skills identified in the curriculum outline.
GETTING STARTED
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MATERIALS NEEDED
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- Originator: Frank Sawyer
- Hook: Mustad 3906B size 10 (To make it easier to learn, you may want to tie one or two on the larger Mustad 9672 size 8)
- Thread: 6/0 black
- Tail: Pheasant tail fibers
- Abdomen: Pheasant tail fibers
- Ribbing: Copper wire, medium
- Thorax: Peacock herl
- Wing Case/Legs: Pheasant tail fibers
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Step 1: Take the pheasant tail feather and separate 4 to 6 fibers. Pull them perpendicular to the stem. This will make the tips even. Cut the fibers close to the stem (As shown with the taylor dragon). The fibers you have just cut will be used for the tail. With this fly proportions are important. Using your right hand place the fibers on the hook as shown with the tips at the bend.
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Step 2: Place your left thumb and forefinger so that a little over half of the hook shank is covered.
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Step 3: Grip the fibers and pull them back until your thumb and forefinger are against the bend of the hook. Use the pinch and secure the tail fibers. Remove your fingers and see if the tail length is right. It should be between 1/2 and 2/3 the length of the shank. If the tail is too long or short, undo the wraps, adjust the length, and cinch down again.
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Step 4: Wrap thread along the length of the fibers to the mid-point of the hook shank. Trim the excess fibers. Return the thread to the hook bend.
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Step 5: Take a 6 cm length of copper wire and lay it along the shank. The wire end should go to the point where you trimmed the tail fibers. Tie in the wire using the pinch.
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Step 6: Next snip off another 6 pheasant tail fibers. Position the fiber tips as shown (the tip ends are about 5 mm over the hook shank). Use the pinch and secure the fibers. After everything has been cinched in at the bend, move the thread to the half way point of the hook.
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Step 7: Now gather the fibers together. Give them a single twist. Then wrap them up the shank of the hook until you get to the half way point. NB: Since the fibers are short, wrapping them can be tricky. Make a single wrap and tug at the fibers. This gets them settled into position. Next attach the hackle pliers. Only grip enough fibers to be able to hold them. Then wrap in wide wraps just barely covering the hook (otherwise you'll run out of material).
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Step 8: Next tie off the fibers and trim the excess.
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Step 9: The next step is to wrap the copper wire. Make about 5 wraps to bring the wire to the midpoint of the shank. You can use the same procedure as with the damselfly nymph. Another option, which many tiers prefer, is to wrap the wire in the opposite direction. This prolongs the life of the fly. If the fibers get severed by the fish's teeth, they won't unravel. The only difficulty lies when tying off the wire. It will loosen as you wrap the thread over it in the normal direction. To do this procedure, move the wire under the shank as you move it away from you and over the shank as you bring the wire towards you.
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Step 10: Once you get to the end of the abdomen, make several more wraps around the bare shank.
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Step 11: Then with your left hand hold the wire angled to the back. With your right hand take the bobbin and make several firm wraps of thread over the wire. This will prevent the wire from loosening and unraveling as you tie it oft. Snip off the excess wire.
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Step 12: Now more pheasant tail fibers are needed. They will make the shellback and the legs. Take about 12 fibers and pull them away from the stem until the tips line up straight. Cut them off near the stem. Next place them on the hook as shown, It is most important that you line them up right. These fibers will also create the legs. If the fibers are projecting too far or not far enough back, there will be problems with the legs. The length of these fibers projecting back should be, from the tie in point, the same length as the hook shank.
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Step 13: Use the pinch to secure the fibers, give several more firm wraps and trim the excess.
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Step 14: Next take two peacock herls. Trim about 2 cm off the butt ends.
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Step 15: Position the herl butt ends as shown
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Step 16: Now tie them in and snip off any excess. Cinch the shellback and hen materials one more time at the point where the abdomen ends.
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Step 17: Move the thread to the front. Take one herl and wrap it in tight wraps to behind the eye. (leave at least 2 mm of bare hook shank exposed) Tie it off. Do the same with the next herl. Clip off the excess.
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Step 18: Now take the shellback fibers and pull them forward over the thorax.
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Step 19: Tie off the fibers as you have been tying off the other materials. Make several extra wraps of thread so that about 2 mm of the fibers have been covered. DO NOT CLIP THE ³EXCESS² MATERIAL. Do not build a thread head yet.
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Step 20: You will be bending back the remaining fibers to form the legs. Look at your fly from above. Take a bodkin (or a needle or a toothpick) and separate the fibers into two even bunches.
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Step 21: Now pull the group of fibers nearest you back along the fly. Make two wraps of thread over the area shown.
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Step 22: Build a thread head, secure with 5 half hitch knots, snip the thread, and add head cement. Here is the completed Pheasant Tail.
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Step 23: Build a thread head, secure with 5 half hitch knots, snip the thread, and add head cement. Here is the completed Pheasant Tail.
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