SBS - Bead Head Pheasant Tail Soft Hackle

 

Materials

 Hook: Allen W502 Wet Fly Hook #12

Bead: Canadian Llama Brass Bead (Copper) 7/64th

Rib: Copper wire

Tail/Body: Pheasant Tail Fibers

Hackle: Metz Grizzly Hen

 *Materials Note: This pattern is very versatile and is more a style of tying then an actual pattern. Feel free to experiment with hook styles and sizes, beads and materials.

Step 1 - Place your bead on the hook small hole first and secure firmly in your vise. 

Step 2 - Start your thread behind the bead and wrap back to behind the hooks barb careful not to nick your thread on the hook point. 

Step 3 -  Measure out your pheasant tail fibers for the length of your tail and tie in. I like to tie the tail in and then bring the thread forward slightly and fold the remaining fibers back and make a few securing wraps as shown in the picture below.

Step 4 - Attach some copper wire starting behind the bead and secure back to the tail. Bring your tying thread back to behind the bead.

Step 5 - Wrap the butt ends of the pheasant tail fibers forward in touching wraps. Stop slightly behind the bead and secure with a few wraps of thread. Clip the excess fibers off as close as possible as you will want room for the bead to slip back and butt up against the end of the body.

Step 6 - Counter rib the pheasant tail with your copper wire. Give a few tight wraps of thread once you have reached the end of the body and then helicopter the wire off. In this photo you can see it did not break off cleanly, likely due to loose thread wraps. I went in and clipped the tip of the wire off with some old scissors.

Step 7 - Whip finish behind the body and apply a drop of head cement or crazy glue. At this point push the bead back over your whip finish and up tight against the pheasant tail body.

Step 8 -  Reattach your thread in front of the bead. At this point you can add a hot spot if you like by using a brightly colored thread such as chartreuse or florescent orange.

Step 9 - Select an appropriately sized grizzly hen hackle (or other hen/soft hackle feather) and strip the webby fibers from the base. Pull back 1-2cm of fibers and tie in and cut off the excess. At this point pull the feather up by the stem and brush the fibers backwards so they are all facing towards the tail of the fly. Take one or two wraps depending upon how sparse or thick you want your hackle to be and then tie off at the head. Carefully snip off the stem as close as possible, whip finish and apply a drop of head cement for added durability.

The Finished Fly

As mentioned in the notes this fly is more of a style then a pattern and offers many different options when tying. You can change the look of the fly easily be adjusting the style of hook that you are using, the type of bead, hackle feather and thread. Below is a variation of the pattern tied on curved nymph hooks, with a brass bead, different color hen hackle fibers and a red hot spot on the head. Do not be afraid to experiment with different materials for the body as well, this pattern opens itself up well to experimentation. You can use these variable to match the local hatches, create an attractor pattern or a new hot fly that will take your rivers by storm.