7 components · full recipe
To tie a Pheasant Tail Nymph you need 7 materials: hook, thread, tail, rib / weight, body, thorax, bead. Frank Sawyer's Pheasant Tail Nymph is a masterclass in doing more with less — originally just pheasant tail fibres and copper wire, no thread at all. It imitates baetis nymphs and remains one of the most reliable subsurface patterns ever devised.
| Component | What to use |
|---|---|
| Hook | Standard or 1XL nymph hook, size 14–20 |
| Thread | Brown or none (Sawyer used wire only) |
| Tail | Pheasant tail fibres, 3–4 |
| Rib / Weight | Fine copper wire |
| Body | Pheasant tail fibres, wound |
| Thorax | Pheasant tail fibres or peacock herl |
| Bead | Copper or tungsten (optional) |
Hook. Sawyer's original used a standard shank; modern versions often use a curved or jig hook.
Thread. The traditional dressing uses fine copper wire as both thread and rib.
Tail. Short — around half a shank length.
Rib / Weight. Does three jobs: ribs the body, adds weight, and reinforces the fibres.
Body. The natural mottling is what makes this pattern work; no dubbing needed.
Thorax. Slightly built up to suggest the emerging wing case.
Bead. A beadhead version fishes deeper and suits euro nymphing rigs.
A Pheasant Tail Nymph is tied on a nymphs hook. The Woolly Bug database lists 100 hooks suited to this style — see best hooks for nymphs for the full list and what the specifications mean.
Natural pheasant tail is the classic. Dyed black or olive fibres give useful variants for different water.
Woolly Bug checks pattern recipes against your material inventory and shows what you can tie right now — and what you are missing.
Download FreeA Pheasant Tail Nymph needs 7 components: Hook (Standard or 1XL nymph hook, size 14–20); Thread (Brown or none (Sawyer used wire only)); Tail (Pheasant tail fibres, 3–4); Rib / Weight (Fine copper wire); Body (Pheasant tail fibres, wound); Thorax (Pheasant tail fibres or peacock herl); Bead (Copper or tungsten (optional)).
Standard or 1XL nymph hook, size 14–20. Sawyer's original used a standard shank; modern versions often use a curved or jig hook.
size 14–20 covers most situations. Smaller sizes for clear water and selective fish, larger for coloured water.
Yes — most components have workable substitutes, and colour is the most flexible variable. The one thing worth matching properly is the hook style, because it determines the finished fly's proportions.
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