How to tie the Stupid Simple Pheasant Tail: Clear water, go to Euro Nymph

The Stupid Simple Pheasant Tail is a go to nymph, especially when the conditions get tough. It shines in clear, low water or anytime you encounter pressured fish. This fly is a Pat Weiss pattern. It's a quick tie as you will see by this step by step fly tying tutorial.
It's always good to have a row in your box!
Bead: Copper 2.3mm
Hook: Hanak 480 size 20 (You can use your favorite hook, size 16-20)
Thread: Veevus 16/0 Brown
Tail: CDL Med or dark pardo
Wire rib: Copper XS
Pheasant Tail: Nature's Spirit Bleached
Glue: Brush-on Loctite
-Cory
#flytying #pheasanttail #euronymphing

[@kevinjozwiak5696]

I’m loving all your tying videos. Simple patterns with DETAILED instructions on what to do and what NOT to do. Great tip on the wire. Nice when someone shares these details that usually take tying up a dozen to figure out on your own what you did wrong. Thanks!

[@OldDominionTroutBum]

Thanks for the kind words Kevin! And I appreciate you watching my vids!

[@Tjk186]

Love this low-key, slim, short-bodied, durable pheasant tail pattern,...looks just right, particularly for tougher conditions/wild fish...some great details/tying tips as ever here ...thanks for sharing Cory.

[@OldDominionTroutBum]

Thank you, TK. This really is a fish catcher. So simple, yet so attractive to the trout. Just nothing that would turn them off. Tight lines to you!

[@butchsexton6863]

I’m a beginner but the way you tie flies make total sense. I have followed you and a couple of others tying tutorials, your videos are the most educational and instructional. I really appreciate all your efforts.

[@OldDominionTroutBum]

Appreciate it, Butch! Glad the videos are helping. Good luck with your tying and tight lines.

[@turninflat]

Really appreciate the subtle detail you put in your videos. first class teaching.

[@OldDominionTroutBum]

Thanks so much for the kind words!

[@johnpontius7266]

Thank you so much for creating these videos!!!

[@OldDominionTroutBum]

Glad they are helpful, John. Thanks for watching!

[@dalesheehan9404]

Thanks Corey. Looks simple enough I’ll have to whip some up.Appreciate the tutorial.

[@OldDominionTroutBum]

You’ll like how it works Dale. Thanks for watching!

[@wvlongshooter3912]

Really making my nymphs and perdigon flies more thin. I just caught a wild bow around 20-22”’s on a very thin quill type perdigon on one of my favorite creeks. I’ve been blessed this year fishing several different creeks that are jam packed with wild bows and no one else fishes them. It’s so crazy that I’m on creeks like this and don’t see others fishing them. Thanks for the content!!! I appreciate it!!!

[@OldDominionTroutBum]

Awesome to hear, Chadd! Thin to win. That is a stud of a rainbow. Congrats! Those hidden creeks are like finding gold. Glad the summer had been good to you. Here is to a great fall as well. Tight lines!

[@tommotyka5487]

Love the tip on turning the vice!!!

[@OldDominionTroutBum]

Glad I could help Tomasz!

[@jonnywareagle5189]

Some fantastic tying tips in here, brilliant video. Thanks!

[@OldDominionTroutBum]

Thank you, Johnny. Glad it helped. Tight lines to you!

[@marcjalbert4139]

Very clean pattern - thanks!

[@OldDominionTroutBum]

Thank you Marc…Appreciate you watching!

[@TERRYBIGGENDEN]

Excellent demonstration, I agree with your methods. :-)

[@OldDominionTroutBum]

Appreciate it Terry!

[@georgescofield6834]

Good tutorial. Thanks for sharing.

[@OldDominionTroutBum]

Thank you. Appreciate you watching George!

[@garrydurfey9700]

Great tie. I love the KISS principle!!

[@OldDominionTroutBum]

This fly is a good (and easy) one, Garry. Thanks for watching!

[@craigsuttles259]

Wonderful instructor. His presentations are clear and concise.

[@OldDominionTroutBum]

Thank you, Craig. Very nice of you to say. Tight lines to you.

[@eric44707]

I just had to add a peacock ice dub collar to a couple. Tying up both ways I’ll let the fish decide. Thanks for the tutorial.

[@OldDominionTroutBum]

They will both be fish catchers. The fish will always tell you. Good luck with them!

[@captainkoo]

Excellent, clear, easy to follow instructions You are a credit to this great sport !

[@OldDominionTroutBum]

Glad it helps, Brian. And really awesome of you to say! Tight lines and good luck with your tying!

[@captainkoo]

@@OldDominionTroutBum your minimalist approach is highly effective . We tend to think bigger and more is better , but in some cases, the opposite is true !

[@Flyadventures]

I like this nymph. Good work.

[@OldDominionTroutBum]

It’s a good one for the box…Thanks so much!

[@Flyadventures]

@@OldDominionTroutBum „must have” on the box :)

[@barbaraemerich1921]

I’m hooked on your channel! Thank you! Can’t wait to get home and get in my tying station!

[@OldDominionTroutBum]

Haha! That’s awesome, Barbara!

[@chasinbowsnbrowns3652]

Nice ! After your last video I was curious about this fly , glad you made this video! Going to order up the materials and whip up a few ! Right now , working on the Gasolina Perdigon , and a copper perdigon ! Tight lines

[@OldDominionTroutBum]

You are going to like it Antonio! And the Gasolina is a good one as well! Tight lines to you.

[@smattext]

I'm gonna tie some of these thank you!!

[@OldDominionTroutBum]

Good luck with them, Scott. Tight lines!

[@atthefiveforks8077]

great tying video .. I love the simple pattern and your slow detailed approach is very good.

[@OldDominionTroutBum]

Thanks so much. Glad it was helpful. Tight lines to you!

[@uni_shadow164]

Gunna try tying this fly, Thanks for the video! Have seen you catch em sunny days with this fly!

[@OldDominionTroutBum]

It’s a great one!

[@kevinbatchelder6690]

Really nice pattern and effective, too. This fly was catching them today, wow oh wow! Thank you for a wonderful fly!

[@OldDominionTroutBum]

Love to hear it, Kevin! Glad it is working for you!

[@kevinbatchelder6690]

This nymph continued to be extremely productive and became my go to fly through September-November this past fall. Thank you for a wonderful pattern!

[@shawnbrevik9759]

Great video, You always explain things well in all of your videos.I’ll definitely give this a try. I really don’t fish peasant tails enough. Using 2 tail fibers makes for a slender profile. I started doing that after watching Tom Jarman’s videos.

[@OldDominionTroutBum]

Thanks so much Shawn! Spin some up…you won’t be disappointed. Tight lines!

[@dennisbaker8878]

excellent video. thank you.

[@OldDominionTroutBum]

Thank you, Dennis! Appreciate you watching.

[@kennymcleod6402]

Thank you for making me a better fly tier

[@OldDominionTroutBum]

Glad I could help, Kenny. Appreciate you watching!

[@wjb442]

Nice and simple. I like your minimalist approach and technique. Thanks for the video…. Well done 👊🏻

[@OldDominionTroutBum]

Appreciate it, WJB. Thanks so much for watching. Tight lines to you.

[@matthulsen580]

great video thanks

[@OldDominionTroutBum]

Thanks so much, Matt!

[@bigmick812]

Awesome. Thanks

[@OldDominionTroutBum]

Thanks so much, Big Mick.

[@michaellacy8510]

I really like the super glue before wrapping the PT trick. Been doing it for a few seasons and it really improves durability.

[@OldDominionTroutBum]

Makes those PTs last longer for sure. Appreciate you watching, Michael!

[@tightliningmd]

number 100 LIKE. Glad I finally got to watch this. You can bank on me tying up some of these soon. Great job and fly. Thanks for sharing, you always do any amazing job. Tight lines my friend!

[@OldDominionTroutBum]

Appreciate the like, Mike! You’ll like this bug. Thanks for the kind words as well. Tight lines to you!

[@duderoony]

Well presented and nicely finished fly. I’m liking these and I’m going to sub this channel. Thank you for sharing dude. 😊

[@OldDominionTroutBum]

Appreciate the comment and thanks for the sub! Tight lines!

[@Trout.Nymphers]

Best fly ever, catches everything no matter what the conditions are...thanks dude. I made this in a size 14 16 and 18 different size beads and they work amazing.

[@OldDominionTroutBum]

It’s a good one for sure, Steve! Glad you are having success with it. Appreciate you watching and commenting. Continued tight lines!

[@Trout.Nymphers]

I'm out here in Northwest Jersey so if you're ever out this way reach out to me and we'll meet up at the river definitely watch all your videos and I can relate man.

[@toadallen]

Thread wrap efficiency is something missing in many patterns, very well executed here I think. Translates easily to many similarly slender patterns and smaller sizes. Really a big fan of 16/0 Veevus for the same reasons, and forces me to think about tension and thread control (read avoid the hook point). Nice tip on the rotary positioning’ of the vice…lovely execution.

[@OldDominionTroutBum]

Thank you Todd! Really appreciate you noticing those things. Tight lines to you!

[@ving3977]

Thanks for another great vid. This bug is lights out. Only change I made was to 2.0 bead. Amazing in clear water.

[@OldDominionTroutBum]

Thanks, Vin. It is a great bug. I also tie it with a 2mm bead as well. Glad it is working for you!

[@prestongizzi2210]

I fished this pattern today on a wild trout stream with large browns. I fished a jig streamer or Perdigons on the point and the SSPT on dropper most the day. I caught almost all my fish on the dropper today (20 or so). Just a couple on the point. I was shocked 17-18” browns rejected my point to hit this fly. Awesome pattern. Just not very durable even with the super glue. 2-3 fish is all I got out of one fly. But we’ll worth it!! Thank you for this pattern.

[@OldDominionTroutBum]

Awesome to hear, Preston! You are right, PTs don’t have a lot of durability, especially on the big ones….but I’ll take 2 to 3 17” brownies per fly any day! It is definitely a top 5 fly of mine. Funny…I’ll keep fishing it even when it gets chewed up and they will still hit it when they are on. Glad you got at ‘em!

[@scottnock5241]

Very nice Cory, now I finally get to see it.. And of course I don’t have bleached PT!!!! Lol. I just got back from 4 days in Northern Potter co pa, laid a spanking on those brook trout!!! Had a super time, they wanted orange not naturals?? Very little top water too??? Let’s hook up sometime!! I have a Fishermans schedule so I’m free.

[@OldDominionTroutBum]

Spin some of these up, Scott….I’m sure they will catch for you. Glad you got into some Brookies. Thanks for watching and hope to see you out on the stream sometime!

[@dominiqueleblanc2193]

I use crystal flash for the ribbing in peacock and about 2 wraps of peacock for the thorax. Very effective!

[@OldDominionTroutBum]

Glad it's working for you, Dominique!

[@outfaded34]

Just to let you know this fly works on super clear high water too. 10 to the net just with that fly. Thanks, Cory

[@OldDominionTroutBum]

Awesome to hear, Jeremy!

[@jeremydulac5920]

Wonderful video! Your tutorials are some of the most thoughtful and helpful out there, so I really appreciate all of the work you put into these! I was wondering your thoughts further on the imitation of this pattern? I was also wondering if you had any other color combinations you recommend it in? I really find the bleached feathers to be a super interesting choice - i am tying some up tonight. Thanks again for all the info you put your channel!

[@OldDominionTroutBum]

Thanks so much, Jeremy! This color can represent lighter color caddis or lighter mayflies like Hendricksons or Cahills. Other colors I like are muskrat grey and olive. Both of those with copper beads. But my go-to is the bleached. It is a color that most people don’t throw. So in heavily pressured streams and clear water, it really shines. Good luck with them!

[@jeremydulac5920]

@@OldDominionTroutBum excellent! Thanks for the info - excited to give them a try. My local creek is incredibly pressured so maybe these will do the trick!

[@keeman540]

This is the only wet fly I've been using here in SWVA in these final weeks of summer. I just keep filling my box with em.

[@OldDominionTroutBum]

It's a great one, Keean! Hope the summer has been good to you in SWVA.

[@danielretherford]

Love the video! Could you do a video about getting into fly tying and what gear to get and avoid, by chance?

[@OldDominionTroutBum]

Thanks Daniel! I would suggest getting: 1. 3 bobbins 2. Bodkin 3. Whip finish tool 4. Sharp scissors 5. Dubbing loop tool You can get all of these tools by Dr. Slick 6. A good vice. I have a Renzetti Traveler 7. Brushable superglue 8. Black, brown, olive thread (get thin thread: 8/0 uni thread, 16/0 Veevus, or UTC 70) Buy your materials; hooks, beads, dubbing, tailing fibers, feathers, etc…after you look at the flies you want to tie. You can start building your inventory from there. Have good bench/table. You can even buy desk top fly tying table. Reach out to me on Instagram if you have any more questions. Happy to help!

[@danielretherford]

@@OldDominionTroutBum Thank you so much for the help! I clicked on your Instagram handle at the top right and it takes me to this URL, instagram.com/old_dominion_trout_bum/ and says, "sorry this page isn't available.".

[@OldDominionTroutBum]

Appreciate the heads up Daniel. I fixed it. Tight lines to you.

[@schmoonkie]

Very nicely done. I like that you only used two fibers of the PT. I do the same on the Frenchies. Question: why do you use the bleached PT? Is it because you're trying to match insects on your local stream(s)? Is it just personal preference?

[@OldDominionTroutBum]

I use bleached because it’s an out of the ordinary shade that most people don’t use. It can stand out, without having flash. It represents lighter color bugs whether a mayfly, caddis, or a midge. Hope this helps and thanks for watching!

[@schmoonkie]

@@OldDominionTroutBum Seems logical. Thanks for the response. I'll give this a try.

[@alexargyros7186]

You are an excellent teacher, Corey. You mention that this is a Pat Weiss pattern. Do you ever fish the way I understand Pat does, i.e., upstream and floating the sighter?

[@OldDominionTroutBum]

Thank you, Alex. Really nice of you to say. I am familiar with Pat’s style and have done it. Really effective and he crushes fish his way. I personally like fishing micro thin leaders and I’ll use a dry-dropper in areas that may be traditional floating sighter areas. I can still grease it and float the tip in shallow areas using upstream cast with short drifts. This style just works for me.

[@TheXeniaman]

What is the advantage of the jig hook when tying this fly? I have beads and standard hooks and wonder if I can tie same with what I have.

[@OldDominionTroutBum]

Parachute, I really like jig hooks because they invert and 99% of the time you hook the fish in the top jaw, therefore your hookup ratio is extremely high. You certainly can use standard hooks if that’s what you have. I just prefer hooks that invert.

[@alanannestrober4193]

Great Video. Does the Coq de leon color matter much? I'm having trouble finding medium pardo. Any suggestions?

[@OldDominionTroutBum]

Appreciate it. The color doesn’t matter-you can use any Coq de Leon (darker or lighter). Good luck to you and thanks for watching!

[@alanstrober6296]

@@OldDominionTroutBum Thanks. I’m also having trouble finding a light colored pheasant tail. Can you recommend a good site?

[@OldDominionTroutBum]

@@alanstrober6296 Tactical Fly Fisher is a good one.

[@wterrencemooney2718]

Also can you show what you do with the bobbin when you are attaching material

[@OldDominionTroutBum]

It's on a bobbin cradle. Really recommend getting one.

[@m.b.h.c9543]

Have you ever tied this pattern with peacock hurl instead of pheasant tail for the body? I just whipped one up and it’s real buggy but I guess the fish will be the judge.

[@OldDominionTroutBum]

I have not. The Stupid Simple Pheasant Tail is made with pheasant tail. Peacock hurl has always been great for flies so I’m sure trout will like it. Let me know how you do with it.

[@wterrencemooney2718]

What vise would you recommend for a beginner fly tier?

[@OldDominionTroutBum]

Terry-this video may help. kzbin.info/www/bejne/qqmyp31vqbWZeLMsi=0z9YR2SCsrEQd2J8 Tight lines.

[@christopmiller]

Thin to win

[@OldDominionTroutBum]

You know it Chris!

[@gummihelgason]

Can I ask what type of camera and lens you're using?

[@OldDominionTroutBum]

I’m actually just using my IPhone 12. Have it on a tripod. I have it set on 4k and 60 fps. Hope this helps.

[@gummihelgason]

@@OldDominionTroutBum thanks it does!

[@BillSaltbush]

2, 3, 4 or more fibres (on the tail)? You're right ODTB, it doesn't matter. I've yet to meet, in all my scores of years in this game, a trout that can count.

[@OldDominionTroutBum]

Haha. Right on, Bill. Appreciate you watching.

[@robinred1851]

Looks like a perdigon !!!

[@OldDominionTroutBum]

Has the profile for sure. Just not the hard body. Thanks for watching, Robin Red!

[@chriscrumbley9219]

Hey Cory. Do you have a video for the France fly??

[@OldDominionTroutBum]

I don’t, Chris. But I would check out Tactical Fly Fisher’s video on it. The only thing is you don’t need to add lead. It’s an older video and the lead isn't necessary.

[@chriscrumbley9219]

@@OldDominionTroutBum thanks Cory. I always wonder about the addition of lead on the patters that call for it and if it is really necessary

[@OldDominionTroutBum]

@@chriscrumbley9219 adding lead is an old school way of tying. Thinner profile flies not only sink quicker, they are far more realistic. Tight lines to you.

[@chriscrumbley9219]

@@OldDominionTroutBum ok Cory. One last question. Do you have a video on your adjustable fry/dropper set up?

[@jamessipes122]

Where can I buy pink beads?

[@OldDominionTroutBum]

James, any online fly tying shop will have them. Tactical Fly, Fly Fish Food, J Stockard, etc…

[@66bigbuds]

Didn't go back very far with that pheasant tail. That's a lot of bare hook. The more hook I leave exposed, the less hook ups I get.

[@OldDominionTroutBum]

You can take the whole shank or lessen it for a smaller fly. I have had great success both ways. Lance Egan does the same thing. Appreciate you watching. Tight lines to you.

[@kennethsmith8844]

If any one fishes in island Park North of Ashton Id. We would tie a snow fly ( looks like a mosquito) with nothing but black thread on a #20 hook

[@OldDominionTroutBum]

Sounds like a winner, Kenneth! Less is more. Thanks so much for watching.

[@kennethsmith8844]

If you were around Idaho Falls area in the early 70’s you might have known Stan Yamamora. He worked at the site and tied flies . I asked him how many flies he could tie in an hour. He said 5 or six. I thought I could tie that fast. Then he added dozen. Most flies in the shops around I.F. Were tied by ladies working for him.

[@OldDominionTroutBum]

Wow! That is awesome. Love stories like that. Tight lines to you.

[@patrickmcphee770]

Why is important to give Pat wies credit for a pattern that was around before he was born?

[@OldDominionTroutBum]

Because it’s the right thing to do. Fulling Mill thinks the same. This isn’t Frank Sawyer’s Pheasant Tail.

[@rzwerlein]

Did you call a pheasants tail “stupid”??🤔🤷🏼‍♂️🤨🤣😂😜😇

[@OldDominionTroutBum]

Haha! Blasphemy!