This pattern might not impress Frank Sawyer and Al Troth—originators of the slim, elegant Pheasant Tail Nymphs most of us use—but the proof is in the pudding, and the hotspot version certainly catches trout. In this great video from Tightline Productions, Tim Flagler demonstrates how he ties a pattern adapted from the original by New Jersey angler Bill Silvia. The way he ties the wingcase is especially ingenious in the way that it prevents the common problem of an obstructed hook eye. I think you’ll find this fly useful throughout the year, but especially in fall and winter.
Hotspot Pheasant Tail Nymph
Hook: Emerger hook (here a Dai-Riki #125), size 18.
Thread: Olive 6/0 or 140-denier.
Tails/abdomen: 3 pheasant tail fibers.
Wingcase: 6 pheasant tail fibers.
Thorax: UV Pink Ice Dub.
Adhesive: UV-cure resin (here, Bondic).
Tools: Hackle pliers, bodkin.
Credit: Source link
