Pheasant Tails?

[lilkobain8848xo]

does anyone tie their pheasant tails without legs?
or do the legs make the fly?

 

[ryguyfi]

I sometimes leave them off when I'm doing a bead head or flash back. But most of the time I tie them in. I've caught fish without "legs" on my flies. I'm sure it helps a little, but it's probably a "fisherman" thing rather than a "fish" thing. We need our visual stimulation

 

[PatrickG]

I tie pheasant tails with and without legs. I don't think they're as necessary when you're tying smaller ones, say size 16 and smaller. It's more or less preference, I sometimes tie ones with rubber legs, turkey biot legs, etc. depending on what the naturals look like and how big they are in the water.

 

[bam]

both. Sometimes I wrap the throax with ice dub or hares ear and pick it out to save time. Tie up a few of each and try em out.

 

[jayL]

I think they are mostly unnecessary, but all of my non beadhead flies have them. They look good.

 

[lilkobain8848xo]

does anyone in hear like to use dubbing instead of peacock herl?
last year i used a pheasant tail with dark green dubing instead of peacock herl and it caught me me biggest wild brown trout ever 18"

 

[jayL]

I use dubbing, herl, ice dub, etc. Whatever I feel like using at the time. They all work equally well. I prefer the ice dub.

 

[boss_steb]

I seldom tie in legs...mostly because I never get them to look the way I wish...when I do...I use centipede legs (and man is tough tying them little suckers on...i thought I would be someone else to the joke). I would say 90% do not have legs and I catch fish fine... I do mix ab color and material...saw a youtube on a pt with sort of a red/orange/pink color to the ab...

Boss

 

[MKern]

Flash back I usually leave the legs off. Never really hurt my fish catching ability.

 

[CRB]

I don't usually put them on. I don't see a difference especially in the faster waters.

 

[jayL]

I am willing to bet that you could do away with the tails and wing case as well without hurting fishability all that much.

 

[troutslammer]

depends how slow and clear the water is and how much pressure , i tie some with and some without , i like peacock ice dub though

 

[littlelehigh]

I tie mine with a brown/olive dubbing which is a mix of antron and fur. Works just as good as peacock.

 

[lilkobain8848xo]

thanks troutslammer i just tied up some with peacock ice dubbing and they look very good i like the sparkle it gives it

 

[tomgamber]

I always tie in legs...whether it still has legs when it comes out of the vice is a judgment call.

 

[yea-who]

Sometimes I do legs, sometimes I don't. I forget to tie the rib more than anything and i don't realize it till i'm tying on the wing case.

As for the herl i do or sometimes i'm in the mood for a dubbing loop of peacock ice dubbing.

If i do the loop than on purpose i don't put legs on it.

 

[khoferer]

I've used Superbrite for the thorax with good results though I want to tie some with ice dubbing to see if there's a difference. I leave the legs off on 18's & 20's.

 

[troutslammer]

when i use the peacock ice dub i also use clear thin skin for the wing case , makes a black shiny case almost like pearl flash only better...

 

[wetfly1]

May fly nymphs typically locate their legs alongside their bodies when swimming which would suggest you can omit the legs altogether. Of course when we turn over a stone we find them clinging to the surface with their legs splayed, but I'm not convinced that this is how a trout will encounter them at all.

That being said... I have tied them both ways, but cannot honestly say which way is more effective. To my eye, the fly looks more complete with the legs included, but this means very little because who knows what a trout really looks for? I think that I (we) as tyers probably add ALOT more to flies than really neccessary most of the time. Check out this picture of Frank Sawyers PT nymph. This is considered the prototype, and it is VERY slim and without legs at all!

Try using peacock ice dub in place of the herl in the thorax. This will allow you to pick it out to simulate legs, or trim it close to omit them.

 

[jayL]

http://www.danica.com/flytier/hweilenmann/pt_12.htm