Nymph
Pheasant Tail / ORL Nymph
Flashy day nymph
Sea trout · TroutSubsurface
French Normandy variant of the pheasant tail with ORL (or similar flash) — a modern update to the Sawyer original, refined for selective sea trout.
Fish this when
Spring and early summer on rivers and in estuarine slack water. Fish it dead-drift on a fine tippet through holding lies.
Why it works
Pheasant tail body is still one of the most credible nymph profiles. The flash adds visibility without overwhelming the imitation.
Naturals it imitates
mixed
Typical zone & fishable range
usually
Surface
Film
Subsurface
Deep
Setup sensitivity: medium
Quick facts
Tying difficulty
Intermediate
Buy or tie?