Long Shank Pheasant Tail
This pattern imitates a “swimmer” mayfly. In the Columbia river, we have many kinds of mayflies, but as fly fishers we group them as have clingers, crawlers, swimmers and burrowers. The clingers and crawlers are the short body mayflies we find on the rocks. When they get knocked off the rocks into the river they just tumble around in the water. The swimmers and burrowers are the long body mayflies. Swimmers can swim quite fast, and when they are about to hatch they swim to the surface. This fly is often used in a back eddy, and is fished with bump and tug motions.
Long Shank Pheasant Tail Materials List
Size 12 Umpqua 2312 Hook.
Nickle Bead -Black or Gold
6/0 Thread -Red
Pheasant Trail
Gold Wire
Crinkle Flashabou -Pearl
SLF Dubbing -Black Prism
About the Tyer
Rod Zavaduk is the owner/operator of Castlegar Sports Centre and Fly Shop; a retail fly fishing outlet and guide service. He began fishing the Columbia River in the late 70s and has been a licensed guide for over 25 years. Rod has studied entomology for 40 plus years and is an expert in the local hatches and insect life cycles. The majority of flies sold in Rod’s shop are hand tied and specialized for the local waterways. Many of the flies are tried and true custom patterns that cannot be purchased anywhere else. Rod estimates he ties 5,000 flies each year.
Visit CastlegarFlyShop.ca to see more of Rod’s hand tied flies, or stop by the new location at 2243 6th Avenue in Castlegar.
