Fly Patterns That Use Silver Pheasant

Silver pheasant feathers are frequently used in fly-fishing patterns or "recipes." There are several styles of flies where the silver pheasant feathers are used to help simulate the shape and colors of nymphs hatching along the trout and salmon streams. Silver pheasant feathers are used for wings, heads and tails on flies, depending on the pattern. Silver pheasant feathers typically come from the Lewis silver pheasant found throughout Southeast Asia.

  1. Lady K

    • The Lady K fly is used for spring and summer fly-fishing along trout streams. This fly mimics many of the insect nymphs that hatch during the late spring or early summer on rivers like the Ausable in the Adirondacks and along Oswegatchie in the northwest foothills of the Adirondack Park. The Lady K uses silver pheasant feathers in the wings on the fly.

    Lloyd Lutes

    • Made for salmon fishing, Lloyd Lutes use silver pheasant feathers in the wings of tail fluff. Lloyd Lutes have a large range of colors and sizes, made so for the changing conditions along many of the salmon rivers in places like northern Norway, Alaska, British Columbia and the Pacific Northwest.

    Gray Ghost

    • Look for silver pheasant feathers on the Gray Ghost fly. Silver pheasant feathers are used for the body and tail on the Gray Ghosts, helping to simulate the silvery flash common on the minnows it seeks to imitate. Silver pheasant gets placed on the sides and shoulders of the fly and are used for trout on rivers from Montana to Vermont and Maine.

    Gaudy Fly

    • Gaudy flies get their name from the outrageous color combinations on the fly. This fly series uses sharp colors and silvers to help create flashes in the water as it rests at the surface, enticing wary trout to take a bite. Gaudy flies use silver pheasant in the neck, collar, shoulder, tail or body -- all depending on the trout stream, what is hatching and the time of year.