NymphbeginnerMidwest & Driftless
Pheasant Tail Nymph
$3.50
Available Sizes#14 - #20
Color Variations
NaturalFlashbackOlive
Frank Sawyer tied the original on an English chalk stream using nothing but pheasant tail fibers and copper wire -- no thread, no vise, just fingers and a hook. The American version added a bead head because we cannot leave well enough alone, but the principle remains: pheasant tail fibers look like every small mayfly nymph that ever drifted through a riffle. It is the fly you tie on when the fishing slows down and the fly you forget to take off when the fishing picks up.
Quick Facts
TypeNymph
Difficultybeginner
SeasonsSpring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Target SpeciesBrown Trout, Brook Trout, Rainbow Trout
Sizes#14 - #20
Best LocationsWhitewater River, MN; White River, AR; Current River, MO
Where to Fish It
Whitewater River
MN · Spring Creek
White River
AR · Tailwater
Current River
MO · Ozark River
Map unavailable. Locations for Pheasant Tail Nymph: Whitewater River, MN; White River, AR; Current River, MO
Related Reading
region guide
Driftless Area: Spring Creek Paradise
Tucked into the unglaciated hills of southwestern Wisconsin, southeastern Minnesota, and northeastern Iowa lies the Driftless Area — a landscape of cold spring creeks, limestone bluffs, and wild trout that rivals any destination in the country. This is the complete guide to fishing the Driftless.
seasonal playbook
The Spring Playbook: First Hatches to Full Send
Spring is the most dynamic season in fly fishing — water temperatures swing daily, hatches emerge in waves, and fish that have been dormant for months begin feeding with increasing urgency. This is your region-by-region playbook for fishing the awakening.
hatch guide
The Complete Guide to Mayfly Hatches
Mayflies are the foundation of trout-stream entomology. This guide covers every major hatch — BWOs, PMDs, Green Drakes, Sulphurs, Tricos, and Hendricksons — with the biology, timing, and fly selections you need to fish them effectively across the country.
hatch guide
Caddis: The Underrated Hatch
Caddisflies outnumber mayflies on most trout streams, yet they receive a fraction of the attention. From the explosive Mother's Day caddis hatch to the giant October caddis of the Pacific Northwest, understanding Trichoptera transforms your fishing from spring through fall.
hatch guide
Emerger Patterns: Fishing the In-Between
Trout eat more insects during emergence than at any other stage. Emerger patterns — flies that imitate the critical moment when a nymph transforms into an adult in the surface film — are the most consistently effective dry flies in fly fishing. Here is the science and the technique behind fishing the in-between.
technique
Reading Water: Finding Fish by Reading Structure
Every river tells you where the fish are, if you know how to listen. Reading water is the fundamental skill that separates productive anglers from persistent ones. The ability to look at a stretch of river and identify the handful of spots that hold fish — and dismiss the vast majority that don't — is worth more than a lifetime of fly pattern knowledge.
technique
Nymph or Dry? The Decision That Changes Everything
Ninety percent of a trout's diet is consumed subsurface. Yet ninety percent of the magazine covers show a dry fly floating on calm water. The decision between nymphing and dry-fly fishing isn't about preference — it's about reading the situation and making the choice that puts your fly where the fish are actually feeding.
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