What If?

What if?  Yea, what if you had to fish for a full year with just one fly pattern in any size needed.  What would your choice be?  I would choose the Pheasant Tail.

I have caught all sorts of fish on this fly.  Trout, Atlantic Salmon and Steelhead have all taken the pattern.  There are just so many different variations possible it seems like the choices are endless.  This photo is of some size 16's with brown hackle for legs.  I tie with burnt orange 12/0 Georgio Bennechi thread.

Frank Sawyer first tied the patter to imitate Baetis found in the chalk streams of England.  This simple and drab fly was tied using only the Pheasant tail for tail, body and wing casing with peacock hurl for the abdomen.  There was no tying thread but only fine copper wire.

For Steelhead I tie the fly on a size 8 to 12 Caddis style hook and will make the abdomen of different colors.  Chartreuse, bright blue and red will all work at different times.  Also the fly can be tied as an egg sucking Pheasant Tail.  It seems egg sucking anything will do well in Pulaski.

For Atlantic Salmon I use an up eye Salmon iron with the tail a bit longer.  Any size will work just fine depending on water conditions.  The photo is a size 6 heavy iron hook.  Try dead drifting when the fish have been in the river for a while with a size 12.  A little twitch might do the trick.

Use your imagination with this fly.  It will surprise you in all the forms it can take as well as all the different kinds of fish that will bite.