The Fly of 10,000 Trout

mmgsozarks
Dec 15, 2025
6 min read

Updated: Dec 29, 2025

By Michael Collins Dec 6, 2025

“Some lures are designed to catch fish, and some are designed to catch fishermen”.

While usually this comment is reserved for the 35 different colors of Megabass Jerkbaits in my online cart that will inevitably get culled to 3-4, it also holds true for when in the field. When looking in the fly box, I have a nice spread of vibrant colors, perfect natural matches, and everything in between. I often have to come to terms with the reality that I only need one or two colors of a single pattern, or even type of fly.

The Pheasant Tail Scud is one of these flies. Simple in design, and super fast to tie. As if that isn’t enough, it works everywhere I have ever taken it. From Colorado mountain creek Brookies, to the mighty tailwaters of Arkansas. The trout of the Appalachian's, Driftless, and Missouri Ozarks love it all the same. I believe the only challenging thing about this fly is finding trout that don’t want to eat it.

In addition to me fishing the PT Scud all over the place for myself, I have sold several hundred of these at this point. Clients fish it and ask for a dozen at the end of the day all the time. I teach folks how to tie it at my local fly fishing club, Capitol City Fly Fishers. It’s gained a little notoriety there, with my phone getting the occasional picture from a club member holding a fish sporting their own PT Scud. Similar as it may appear to a classic Hare’s Ear, I have done some things that really make it its own fly. UV flash, red thread, and a scud style hook are the main differences, but there are other subtle ones in there too.

I like to fish the Pheasant Tail Scud a few different ways. There’s the typical bobber rig, which is how most would go about fishing it. I enjoy high stick drifting the fly through choppy fast riffles. Extra lead on the body will help the fly sink better if you go this route. The technique I use the most is one that’s probably unexpected. Swinging this little guy does amazing things. I suppose trout see it as an emerger and hone in. I like to swing through drop offs in the river, or up into tight root wads in the creeks.

Tools of the Trade, and Materials Needed.

The tools for the job are minimal. A bobbin, scissors, and a sturdy vise are the necessities. Materials include the following:

Scud Hook, Size 14 (Any size 14-16 scud hook will do).
Tungsten bead to match hook size. I have used almost every color out there but often use metallic black. (That’s because I was given a bag over nearly 1000 a while back, and not because I think it’s the best color. Gold, copper, and even oil slick all look cool.
Red 6/0 or 8/0 Thread, or else the fly won’t work. Sometimes I mix it up and use orange thread.
Small diameter gold or copper wire for ribbing
Pheasant Tail fibers for the tail and shell back.
Dubbing. The dubbing is where the magic of this fly really comes from. In the early days of me tying this, I used a Hareline product that was more or less Hare’s Ear dubbing with a dash of shredded mylar or Ice Dub. These days I mix my own.

Dubbing has no limits

Take a little of this, a little of that, and you have a dubbing of sorts. Any crafty thin fibered materials can be dubbed on a hook. While I do experiment with some wild ideas, (let’s leave my German Shepard’s underfur out of this), I usually gravitate towards manufactured materials. Fly Tiers Dungeon is one of my favorite places to pick up items like this. The Mad Scientist has a selection that is if nothing else, mind blowing. More dubbing than the human mind can handle. His dubbing selection is just the tip of the iceberg. Go check out Fly Tiers Dungeon and see for yourself!

For this pattern I use two FTD products. For the base, I use Simply Scud (Gray). The flash is Sunburst Dubbing (UV Pearl), which is nothing more than shredded mylar, just like Ice Dub. My mix ratio is usually around 85% Simply Scud to 15% Arctic Flash. To mix, I use a rip stack method. Get a wide bowl and grab your pinches of dubbing to mix. Grab your dubbing between both index fingers and thumbs and pull apart. Regrip and pull apart again. Repeat this process until the flash is consistently mixed into the gray dubbing. Now you’re ready to dub it.

How it’s tied

Start with your hook in your vise with the bead on. Start your thread behind the bead and work it deep into the bend of the hook.

For the tail, select somewhere between 7-10 Pheasant Tail fibers off a tail, and tie them in with the tips facing out the back. I make this tail about as long as the working surface of the hook I am tying on. It is important to save the bundle of tail fiber ends. We will use these again.

Tie in the wire all the way to where the tail starts.

Dub some of your dubbing mix on the thread and wrap about ⅔ of the way to the bead. I don’t frown at the idea of using a little high tack wax on the thread to keep the dubbing noodle tight. Taper the body as you work toward the bead. Thinner toward the tail, while getting thicker as you go up.

You will know you did it right when you wrap your thread up. You should have a nice semi tight cone shape of dubbing on your hook, as pictured. Spiral wrapping the wire into place will collect most of your wild dubbing fibers & reinforce the body.

Remember those tail fibers we saved? Let's tie those back in now. I tie them in by the thin side and run the butt ends of the fibers towards the back. If you wanted a little flash back on your fly, you would tie in a piece on tinsel or Flashabou right before you tie in the tail fibers for a "flash back".

Dub up the front section with more of the flashy mix. Once at the bead, pull the pheasant tail fibers (and Flashabou over top if you added that in) and tie it off behind the bead.

Before I trim, I throw in a half hitch on top of the tail fiber stack, as well as one in front of it. I try not to bulk up the front of the fly too much, and prefer flies that last trip after trip. 2 Half hitches is enough for me before I get out the Zap a Gap and paint my thread with it. A few wraps later and that Pheasant Tail Scud will struggle to come undone under extreme circumstances. Pick out the fibers on the underside, right behind the bead to give it "legs".

Here’s a video of my tying a similar (earlier edition) of this pattern. It's an earlier version of the Pheasant Tail Scud, but not much has changed, fundamentally. You will notice in the video that I add wings. You can totally do that in addition to the rest of the directions. I stopped adding them a couple years ago, as I don't think they really add value like you might think.

As you can see, I used to call it the Hare's Ear Scud. I am not sure when that changed.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7E_yZD3xq6w

As a final thought, I want to point out that while I came up with this fly out of the need to produce a quick tie attractor, it’s probably not totally original. I came up with it, sure, but it’s likely been done before. For that reason, I will not claim it to be an original pattern. It’s honestly more of a general recipe, and less of a specific pattern. You can use these same instructions and come up with all kinds of colorations. This one works best for me and my experiences.

I hope you try this fly out and have some success with it. If you do, send me pictures and I might feature you on my website/social media!

Thank you for reading! If you’re interested in booking a fishing trip here in the Missouri Ozarks, get ahold of me! I’m now booking for Trout, Smallmouth, and Grass Carp trips for 2026.

Current Locations:

Gasconade River (Dixon, Missouri)

Meramec River (Steelville)

Niangua River (Lebanon)

Maries River (Freeburg)

Creek X (Nice Try)

Misty Mountains Guiding Service Supporters: