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Frenchie
Frenchie Pink
Tying Instructions
1. Slide the hook point through the small hole of the bead, the larger hole on the other side will allow the hook to move past the hook bend. Bring the bead up to the eye and apply 8-10 leadfree wire wraps behind the bead. This will help fill the void behind the bead and give the pattern some extra weight.
2. Clip off some Coq de Leon tailing fibers and secure them to the bend of the hook. the length of the tail should be about the same as the shank length. Secure the tag ends of the fibers to the shank and trim off the excess.
3. Attach a wire ribbing to the side of the hook shank and secure down to the tail tie-in position.
4. Clip off about 6-7 Pheasant Tail fibers from the PT tail feather for the abdomen. Trim off the tips of the Pheasant tail fibers as they are very weak and secure the fibers to the top of the hook shank behind the wire wraps. Anchor the Pheasant Tail fibers along the shank to the tail tie in position.
5. Wrap the Pheasant Tail fibers forward covering all of the shank up to the bead. Do not twist these fibers, you want those small hairs to stand upright. Secure with a few thread wraps behind the bead.
6. Trim off the tag ends of the fibers and secure with some additional thread wraps.
7. Wrap the ribbing wire in a counter direction than the fibers were wrapped. This will help lock the fibers in place as well as protect them from unraveling once broken. Secure the tag end of the wire with thread wraps.
8. Trim off the tag end of the wire ribbing and secure with some more thread wraps. Use a Whip Finish to end the use of this thread.
9. Next, attach the “hot spot” thread behind the bead and wrap an area that defines the thorax.
10. Twist a small amount of UV Shrimp Pink Ice dubbing to the thread.
11. Wrap the dubbing forming a small, tight thorax and secure with some thread wraps behind the bead.
12. Add some additional thread wraps just behind the bead for the “hot spot”.
13. Apply a Whip Finish.
14. The Frenchie Pink.
| Materials
to Order Material, click the link |
|
|---|---|
| Hook | Firehole 316, size 14-18 |
| Thread | Veevus 10/0 Red |
| Head | Gold Tungsten |
| Weight | .015 Leadfree Wire |
| Body | Natural Pheasant Tail fibers |
| Thorax | UV Shrimp Pink Ice Dubbing |
| Tail | Coq de Leon Medium Pardo |
| Ribbing | Small Gold Wire |
| Collar Hot Spot | Veevus 10/0 Red |
Frenchie
The Frenchie nymph is a variation off the Beadhead Pheasant Tail nymph. I am not sure who came up with this variation as both the English and the French have used this pattern for some time. In competition, this fly has been outstanding and came to the attention of our own Team USA members, George Daniels and Lance Egan.
Scud Style Hook
Lance Egan
Lance adapted the pattern to a scud style hook offering smaller sizes and has often been credited with the pattern design. Used within European style nymphing techniques such as Czech or French nymphing, the Frenchie has been adapted to sink rapidly within the water column with a slender profile. It has a Tungsten bead as well as leadfree wire backing the bead. The tail is more durable than the Pheasant Tail Nymph with the use of Coq de Leon tailing fibers.
Key Trigger
A key trigger mechanism for this pattern is the color of the Ice Dubbed thorax and the “hot spot” thread collar that is tied just behind the bead. UV Pink Ice dubbing with a Fl. Orange collar is the most popular combination but other colors work as well in Olive, Purple, and Orange with corresponding thread collars of the same color. In recent years, Lance Egan has tied the Frenchie to a jig type hook which rides with the point up when bounced upon the bottom. This has reduced bottom snags and results in the fish getting hooked within the upper jaw behind the snout.
Threaded Body
This hook position allows the angler to retrieve the fish much sooner, particularly with Competition style hooks that have a longer point, by having much more control of the fish direction of travel. Tied to a size 18, the Frenchie makes a great BWO nymph pattern in the Sierra. Lance simplified the pattern with a thread body applying Loon’s Fly Finish Flow over the body after the spirol ribbing was wrapped. Do not overcoat the finish as you want the wire ribbing to accentuate the segmentation. This variation allows you to tie a durable Frenchie pattern very quickly yet still remains an attractive fly to fish.
This chart will assist you in selecting the proper bead.
Bead Size Chart
Variations
Lance Egan Variation Frenchie Orange
| Hook | Hanak 400BL, size 14-16 |
| Thread | Uni-thread Olive 8/0 |
| Head | 7/64 Gold slotted tungsten |
| Weight | .015 Leadfree Wire |
| Body | Yellow Dyed Pheasant Tail fibers |
| Thorax | Orange Ice Dubbing |
| Tail | Coq de Leon Dark Pardo |
| Ribbing | Small Copper Wire |
| Collar Hot Spot | Uni-thread Fire Orange 6/0 |
Frenchie Purple
| Hook | Firehole 551, size 14-16 |
| Thread | Uni-thread Black 8/0 |
| Head | 7/64 Gold slotted tungsten |
| Weight | .015 Leadfree Wire |
| Body | Black Dyed Pheasant Tail fibers |
| Thorax | UV Purple Ice Dubbing |
| Tail | Coq de Leon Medium Pardo |
| Ribbing | Small Gold Wire |
| Collar Hot Spot | Uni-thread Purple 8/0 |
Frenchie Olive
| Hook | Hanak 400BL, size 14-16 |
| Thread | Veevus Olive 10/0 |
| Head | 7/64 Gold slotted tungsten |
| Weight | .015 Leadfree Wire |
| Body | Olive Dyed Pheasant Tail fibers |
| Thorax | Caddis Green Ice Dubbing |
| Tail | Coq de Leon Medium Pardo |
| Ribbing | Small Gold Wire |
| Collar Hot Spot | Danville Chartreuse 6/0 |
Egan’s Thread Frenchie
| Hook | Firestick 551, size 12-16 |
| Thread | Danville Olive 6/0 |
| Head | 7/64 Copper slotted tungsten |
| Weight | .015 Leadfree Wire |
| Body | Danville Olive 6/0coated with Loons UV Fly Finish Flow |
| Thorax | Ice Dubbing UV Pink |
| Tail | Coq de Leon Medium Pardo |
| Ribbing | Uni-Soft Wire Medium Brown |
| Collar Hot Spot | Danville Olive 6/0 |