NymphbeginnerSoutheast & Carolinas
Pheasant Tail Nymph
Flybox sourcing profile
No TWG price or checkout is active. Use this page to validate the fly, then source it through the mapped tier or trusted fly shops.
Pattern Ledger
Source Pheasant Tail Nymph
Want help finding this exact pattern or a tied-to-order equivalent? Join the sourcing ledger and we will prioritize demand by water, species, and pattern.
Trusted Sourcing Ledger
Find this fly from an independent source
Exact links are published only after the product name and live page are checked. TWG does not sell the fly, set the price, or control stock, shipping, or returns.
Exact source still under review
We have not published an exact product link for this pattern yet. The directory below can help locate a regional specialist, but it is not proof that the exact fly is currently listed.
Regional source directory
Murray's Fly Shop
Matched on Southeast & Carolinas, nymph flies, trout. Appalachian trout and smallmouth source with long-running regional fly catalog depth.
Davidson River Outfitters
Matched on Southeast & Carolinas, nymph flies, trout. Southern Appalachian trout shop lead tied to the Davidson River and regional freestones.
Fly Fish Food
Matched on nymph flies, trout, mayfly. Strong technical tying and trout catalog coverage, especially nymphs, dries, and stillwater flies.
Fulling Mill Flies
Matched on nymph flies, trout, nymph. Large pattern house with broad freshwater and saltwater fly categories.
These are independent businesses. A listing does not imply endorsement or partnership. TWG currently receives no purchase commission from these links. Any future paid or affiliate relationship will be labeled beside the relevant link.
Frank Sawyer tied the original Pheasant Tail on an English chalk stream with nothing but his fingers, pheasant tail fibers, and copper wire. No thread, no vise, no ceremony. The Americans added a bead head because we cannot help ourselves, but the genius of the original remains: pheasant tail fibers look exactly like the segmented body of every small mayfly nymph that ever tumbled through a Southern Appalachian riffle. On the South Holston during a Sulphur hatch, this is the fly that catches the fish that refuse the dry. On the Davidson in March, it is the only fly you need.
Quick Facts
Where to Fish It
South Holston River
TN · Tailwater
Davidson River
NC · Mountain Freestone
Rapidan River
VA · Mountain Freestone
Loading map...
Related Reading
region guide
Southeast: From Smokies Brookies to Lowcountry Reds
The American Southeast spans an extraordinary gradient — from native brook trout in the cold headwaters of Great Smoky Mountains National Park to sight-casting for tailing redfish in the spartina grass of the Lowcountry. This is the guide to fishing both ends of that spectrum and everything in between.
seasonal playbook
The Fall Guide: Changing Seasons, Changing Tactics
Fall is when the fishing world rearranges itself. Brown trout become aggressive and territorial as spawning urges override caution. Steelhead push into Pacific Northwest rivers on autumn rain. Striped bass blitz baitfish along the Northeast coast. And trout streams that were too warm in August cool into prime condition. Here's how to fish every opportunity the changing season offers.
You Might Also Like
NymphbeginnerTellico Nymph
FlyboxFind a tier or trusted source
Southeast & Carolinas
#10 - #16
Classic Appalachian nymph with yellow body, peacock herl back, and brown hackle. Originated in the Great Smoky Mountains.
Rainbow Trout · Brown Trout · Brook Trout
NymphbeginnerPrince Nymph
FlyboxFind a tier or trusted source
Southeast & Carolinas
#10 - #16
Doug Prince's attractor nymph with peacock herl body, brown and white goose biots, and gold rib. A universal searching nymph.
Rainbow Trout · Brown Trout · Brook Trout
NymphbeginnerGreen Weenie
FlyboxFind a tier or trusted source
Southeast & Carolinas
#10 - #16
Simple chartreuse chenille worm pattern. Imitates inchworms and caddis larvae. A Pennsylvania original that dominates Southern Appalachian waters.
Rainbow Trout · Brown Trout · Brook Trout
NymphbeginnerCumberland River Sowbug
FlyboxFind a tier or trusted source
Southeast & Carolinas
#14 - #18
Flat-bodied isopod imitation for Kentucky's Cumberland River tailwater and Elkhorn Creek. Gray dubbing with a shellback replicates the aquatic sowbugs that thrive in limestone-rich waters.
Brown Trout · Rainbow Trout
NymphintermediateHellgrammite
FlyboxFind a tier or trusted source
Southeast & Carolinas
#4 - #10
Dobsonfly larva imitation with rubber legs and dark body. The apex forage in Appalachian freestone streams. Preferred by large trout and smallmouth.
Smallmouth Bass · Brown Trout · Rainbow Trout
NymphbeginnerPheasant Tail Nymph
FlyboxFind a tier or trusted source
Rocky Mountain West
#14 - #20
Frank Sawyer's original, perfected by American tiers. Pheasant tail fiber body, copper wire rib. The most important nymph ever tied.
Rainbow Trout · Brown Trout · Cutthroat Trout · Brook Trout · Mountain Whitefish