Paul's February 2024 Fly of the Month

 Hogan's Gumball

(Pheasant Tail Variation)

Hook:  Firehole 633 #16 Nymph Hook or hook of choice. 

Bead:   1/8” Pink Tungsten Bead.

Thread:  8/0 Uni-thread Black.

Tail:  Pheasant Tail Fibers.

Rib:  Small Fluorescent Pink Ultra Wire.

Body:  Pheasant Tail.

Collar:  Pink Ice Dub or Spawn Simi Seal Shrimp Belly.

Legs:  Hot Pink Krystal Flash, doubled over to create 2 legs on each side of the nymph.

This is a nice variation of a Pheasant Tail Nymph.  It’s a fly you want to have in your fly box.  This variation is tied with a pink bead, dubbing, & rib, but you can tie this fly in a large variety of colors.

To tie this fly begin by placing your bead on the hook and your hook in the vice.  Next, start your thread behind the bead and make touching wraps along the hook shank to the bend.  Trim off the butt end of your thread.  You are now going to tie in your Pink Ultra Wire Rib.  I tie it in behind the bead on the side of the hook and wrap back to the bend. 

Prepare 5-6 Pheasant tail fibers for your tail and body.  The tail should extend approximately a hook gap length from the bend of the hook.  Once your tail is secure, palmer the butt ends of the Pheasant fibers forward to create your body.  Tie it off just short of the bead, then cut off the butt ends.  Now counter wrap your rib forward to create a segmented body.  Tie it off behind the bead and ‘helicopter’ off the butt end. 

Next, take a very small amount of dubbing and create a thin dubbing noodle for your collar.  Create a sparse collar with 2-3 wraps of your dubbing noodle.  For the legs, take a strand of Krystal Flash and double it over.  You are going to tie it in right behind the bead at it’s ‘mid-way’ point so that there will be 2 legs (strands of Krystal Flash) on both sides of the fly.  Whip finish the fly.  You are now going to trim the legs by sweeping them back along the fly and trimming them so that they equal the length of the body.  Finish the fly with a drop of ‘Hard as Nails’ or UV Resin on your thread wraps.

Loon Outdoors has an excellent video on how to tie this fly below:

If you have any questions about this fly or would like to submit a Fly of The Month I can be reached at pdinice@frontier.com .