Pheasant Tail Nymph
Frank Sawyer's classic nymph pattern imitates a wide range of mayfly nymphs. The pheasant tail fibers create a realistic segmented body. Effective year-round in sizes #14-20, this pattern belongs in every Montana fly box.
Pattern Details
- Type
- Nymph
- Seasons
- spring, summer, fall, winter
Where to Fish This Fly
Madison River
Southwest Montana
Year-round producer
Yellowstone River
South Central Montana
Reliable all season
Gallatin River
Southwest Montana
Dropper behind a dry
Missouri River
Central Montana
Sight-nymphing mainstay
Bighorn River
Southeast Montana
Classic nymph for the Bighorn
Related Nymph Patterns
Zebra Midge
A devastatingly simple midge pupa pattern. Thread body with a bead head — that's it. The Zebra Midge is the most effective winter pattern on Montana tailwaters and produces year-round on the Missouri and Bighorn rivers.
Prince Nymph
A classic attractor nymph with peacock herl body and white biots. The Prince Nymph doesn't imitate any specific insect but suggests many. It's a reliable searching pattern when drifted through riffles and runs on all Montana rivers.
Pat's Rubber Legs
A large, heavily weighted stonefly nymph pattern. Pat's Rubber Legs is the go-to point fly for nymph rigs on the Madison, Yellowstone, and Gallatin rivers. The rubber legs pulse with every micro-current, driving trout wild.
San Juan Worm
Love it or hate it, the San Juan Worm catches fish. This simple chenille or micro-tubing pattern imitates aquatic worms that are a significant food source in tailwater rivers. Particularly effective on the Bighorn and Missouri after rain events.
Lightning Bug
A flashy variation of the Pheasant Tail that uses tinsel and flash for added attraction. The Lightning Bug excels in slightly off-color water and as a dropper behind large dry flies. A Montana guide favorite.
Ray Charles
A scud/sowbug pattern that is absolutely essential on the Bighorn River. Named because you'd have to be blind not to catch fish on it, the Ray Charles imitates the freshwater crustaceans that dominate the diet of Bighorn River trout.