Mike R.
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Nymph Tying
I'm tying some hare's ear and pheasant tail nymphs for steelhead fishing. I don't want to use a bead head, should they be weight for steel head? If weighted with lead wire how much and where?
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Skip16503
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RE: Nymph Tying
2008/10/28 14:43:14
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If I do Which I almost never do I do it at the front How much??? It varies You can always not weigh them and add Split shot to get it down
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bowmandjk
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RE: Nymph Tying
2008/10/28 15:14:25
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if your tying them i would ty some with beads and some without ive been on the water when they get fussy and beaded nymphs were the ticket
any day of fishing is a gift
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doubletaper
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RE: Nymph Tying
2008/10/28 15:37:33
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i usualy always weight my nymphs.
again the rule of thumb is to use the same diameter lead wire as hook diameter. you start on the hook shank a little towards the front of where the hook point is. this will make sure you're not hampering the hook gap. i wind my lead wire the opposite direction of my thread wraps. leave enough room for the head and tie off when wrapping the lead wire.
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thedrake
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RE: Nymph Tying
2008/10/29 00:02:05
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The only good way to weight a pheasant tail is with a bead head. lead wire will build up too much bulk on the hook to tie a good pt.
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anchke
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RE: Nymph Tying
2008/10/29 19:13:25
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Try Quick Descent dubbing (I think that's the name. It's made from aluminum shavings, I believe). It comes in a variety of colors, and you use it like any dubbing, spins easily, looks realistic -- and it certainly adds weight.
Couple caveats -- it spins very easily so you end up with a good, tight body. If you want something fatter, you'll need a couple of trips up and down the hook, or else use it as an underbody and wrap your regular dubbing over it.
Any reason you don't like a beadhead?
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clinchknot
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RE: Nymph Tying
2008/10/29 20:50:03
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I agree with thedrake. A PT is supposed to have a slim profile in the abdomen, and if you add lead to the thorax it will bulk it up too much and make it look out of proportion. A beadhead or splitshot is the only way to get it down.
I don't give a crap if anybody listens to me or not.
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luvinbluegills
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RE: Nymph Tying
2008/10/30 11:42:31
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If you you rib the abdomen with Copper wire you can make a few wraps of this under the thorax. It won't add a lot of weight, but it'll sink and won't destroy the proportions.
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Catching Chrome
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RE: Nymph Tying
2008/10/30 12:09:13
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Lead wire if you use the right diamater will not destroy your proportions. Also a good thing to due if you tie both weighted and unweighted is to use different colors of thread for the two. that way you can tell the difference in your box. I use beads and even weight the beaded ones with lead. I've found when I do I almost never have to use shot. I tie in my tail then use lead wire and cover it with thread and dubbing, this also keeps the wire from moving and makes a perfect tapered body.
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jlh42581
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RE: Nymph Tying
2008/10/30 13:08:55
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Dont forget, some states lead is a no no. So, be careful whats in your box if you travel.
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dano
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RE: Nymph Tying
2008/10/30 16:24:06
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ORIGINAL: thedrake
The only good way to weight a pheasant tail is with a bead head. lead wire will build up too much bulk on the hook to tie a good pt.
I once read that the original English Pheasant Tail was tied without thread. Copper wire was used in all tying steps. The copper wire head gave some added bulk/weight along with the added wraps in the step for folding back the wing case and building up a base for the herl. Al Troth's version changed it to thread with copper rib and, i believe, added legs. I once tied a half dozen the old English way. I put a small spool of copper wire on a bobbin. One problem I did have was occasionally kinking the wire near the bobbin tube which would cause the wire to break. I probably should have skipped the bobbin and held the spool in my hand like the old days. 
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pheasant tail 2
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RE: Nymph Tying
2008/10/30 22:45:28
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An old English version of the pheasant tail I'm familar with uses copper wire to create the thorax.
PT
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anchke
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RE: Nymph Tying
2008/10/30 23:12:07
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I have a small bobbin on which is a spool of thin wire "ribbing." The trick to avoiding kink is: 1) do not allow the bobbin to hang from the fly and spin, and 2) do not spin the wire as you wrap.
The advantage to using a bobbin for this purpose is simply that the bobbin is easier to hang on to.
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ryguyfi
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RE: Nymph Tying
2008/11/06 15:28:27
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I'm weighting more and more of my flies now a days. Trick #1 if you do weight put it opposite the hook point. This will balance the fly so it will ride basically upside down and you will have less snags. #2, you will detect more strikes with a weighted nymph vs an unweight nymph/split shot presentation. When you add split shots you have another item on your line obstructing you from direct contact with fish. Even if you sacrifice a small bit of reality to your flies for weight, do it. #3 crimp your lead wrap to make it flat... most nymphs are more flat than round. take your pliers and squash your wrapped lead to make it more flat to give a better profile. and most of all.... have fun! tying should not be frustrating, or it's not worth it. If you enjoy tying, then tie. If not, then spend the extra money and buy some and spend less time being stressed out and more time fishing!
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