The Best Anglers Never Stop Learning

The Best Anglers Never Stop Learning

Nymph

Icy Pheasant Tail

Insect Species Icon Quill Gordon, Blue Wing Olive, Callibaetis and 8 others
Difficulty Icon Easy - 3-5 Min
Water Category Icon Coldwater

Tying Video

Become a Member

Sign up for full access to the Learning Center
and all the FlyBrary Content.
Tying Recipe
  • Hook: Czech nymph style hook size #16
  • Bead: Tungsten bead 1/8″ gold
  • Weight: Lead free round wire .015
  • Thread: UTC 70 denier black
  • Tail: Pheasant tail
  • Body: Flat tinsel green
  • Rib: Stretch tubing small clear
  • Thorax: Ice dub caddis green
  • Wing case: Thin skin black
  • Legs: Pheasant tail
  • Hook: Any curved or straight shanked nymph hook will work fine for this fly.
  • Bead: Any tungsten or brass bead will work great.
  • Weight: This step can be skipped.
  • Thread: Any thin diameter thread can work great here. The thinner the better, especially for smaller sizes, but try not to go thicker than 8/0 or 70 denier.
  • Tail: Pheasant tail can be great for nymph tails. Wood duck flank and Coq-de-Leon can also work. Coq-de-Leon is quite a bit stronger than both!
  • Body: Any flat tinsel or flash can work great here.
  • Ribbing: Stretch tubing works best here.
  • Thorax: Any dubbing that you like can work great here.
  • Wing case: Thin skin or Kiley’s nymph skin are great synthetic wing cases. For something more natural, try pheasant tail or turkey tail.
  • Legs: Rubber legs can be a fun addition, but for a more natural look goose biots can work great.

Since this is pretty much just a flashy pheasant tail, anything that you can think of for a standard pheasant tail will work here. A few turns of CDC or partridge can make a great soft hackle for this pattern. Rubber legs can add some great movement for larger flies. Tie it on a jig hook for a great euro nymphing point fly! Tie this is any color that you need or any size to match the forage in your area better.

This is a nice shiny pheasant tail that will get the attention of any fish that are close to it. Like most pheasant tails, this one can imitate just about any aquatic mayfly nymph in any river system, so tie this one up and expect it to get some attention!

Fish this just like any other nymph. This can work as the tag off of a euro nymph rig, the lead or tag off of an indicator rig, or as the dropper off of your favorite dry fly. Get the best dead drift that you can for the best results. Fish this whether there is a large hatch going on or not, more than likely there are a few bugs crawling around as the water warms.

Blue Wing Olive

Regional Hatch Chart Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Region: West
Blue Wing Olive
Sizes: #16 - #24
Region: Northwest
Blue Wing Olive
Sizes: #16 - #24
Region: East
Blue Wing Olive
Sizes: #16 - #24
Region: Southeast
Blue Wing Olive
Sizes: #16 - #24
Region: Midwest
Blue Wing Olive
Sizes: #16 - #24

Brown Drake

Regional Hatch Chart Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Region: West
Brown Drake
Sizes: #10 - #14
Region: Northwest
Brown Drake
Sizes: #10 - #14
Region: East
Brown Drake
Sizes: #10 - #14
Region: Midwest
Brown Drake
Sizes: #10 - #14

Callibaetis

Regional Hatch Chart Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Region: West
Callibaetis
Sizes: #12 - #18
Region: Northwest
Callibaetis
Sizes: #12 - #18
Region: East
Callibaetis
Sizes: #12 - #18
Region: Midwest
Callibaetis
Sizes: #12 - #18

Green Drake

Regional Hatch Chart Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Region: West, Northwest, Midwest
Green Drake
Sizes: #8 - #14
Region: East
Green Drake
Sizes: #8 - #14

Hendrickson

Regional Hatch Chart Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Region: East, Midwest
Hendrickson
Sizes: #10 - #16

Isonychia

Regional Hatch Chart Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Region: East
Isonychia
Sizes: #12 - #18
Region: Southeast
Isonychia
Sizes: #12 - #18
Region: Midwest
Isonychia
Sizes: #12 - #18

Light Cahill

Regional Hatch Chart Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Region: East
Light Cahill
Sizes: #12 - #20
Region: Midwest
Light Cahill
Sizes: #12 - #20
Region: Northwest
Light Cahill
Sizes: #12 - #20

Mahogany Dun

Regional Hatch Chart Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Region: West, Northwest
Mahogany Dun
Sizes: #14 - #20
Region: East, Midwest
Mahogany Dun
Sizes: #14 - #20

March Brown

Regional Hatch Chart Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Region: West, East
March Brown
Sizes: #10 - #14
Region: Northwest
March Brown
Sizes: #10 - #14
Region: Midwest
March Brown
Sizes: #10 - #14

PMD

Regional Hatch Chart Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Region: West, Northwest, East, Southeast, Midwest
PMD
Sizes: #14 - #20

Quill Gordon

Regional Hatch Chart Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Region: East, Southeast
Quill Gordon
Sizes: #12 - #16

Become a Member

Sign up for full access to the Learning Center
and all the FlyBrary Content.