Pheasant Tail

A slim, copper-ribbed mayfly profile, finished here with a peacock thorax and fiber legs.

Pheasant tail fibers make a slender, segmented body with very little bulk. This is the American-style version with a peacock thorax, a folded wingcase, and separate legs. It differs from Frank Sawyer’s original copper-and-pheasant construction, so the variation is part of the recipe rather than an interchangeable detail.

At the vise: Intermediate
Common sizes: #12–20

Flies for Panfish Flies for Trout

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From hook to fly

At the vise.

6 illustrated steps

Work through the numbered steps in order. Use the written materials and proportions as your guide; select an image for a closer look.

Start the thread
Clamp the hook level. Start dark thread one eye-length behind the eye and lay a smooth foundation toward the bend.
Bench note A smooth base helps the thin abdomen stay even.
Attach copper and tail
Bind copper wire down to the bend. Tie in aligned pheasant fibers so their tips form a tail about three-quarters of a shank long. Keep the long butt ends for the abdomen.
Bench note Keep the fibers aligned before you secure the tail.
Wrap the slim abdomen
Wind the pheasant-fiber butts forward in touching turns to cover roughly the rear two-thirds of the shank. Tie off and trim, keeping the body slim.
Bench note Handle the fibers gently; the copper rib will reinforce them next.
Rib and prepare wingcase
Counter-wrap copper in open spirals and secure it at the abdomen front. Tie a fresh pheasant bundle on top with tips facing rearward; allow enough length to fold over the thorax and back as legs.
Bench note Keep this bundle on top rather than letting it roll around the hook.
Build the peacock thorax
Attach two peacock herls at the wingcase base. Wind them forward into a fuller thorax, leaving a small head space. Secure and trim the herl.
Bench note The thorax should be fuller than the abdomen, without crowding the eye.
Close the wingcase
Pull the pheasant bundle forward over the thorax and secure behind the eye. Divide the projecting tips, fold them backward along both sides, and bind in place. Adjust legs to about thorax length; whip finish and cement.
Bench note Trim overly long legs to about the thorax length.

Beyond the bench

On the water.

Use its slim profile when trout are feeding on small mayfly nymphs. Choose size and depth to suit the water, and keep the drift controlled. This recipe has no bead or added underbody weight; a weighted variation changes both the sink rate and how the fly fits into your rig.

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