Fly Box Essentials I - Frenchies

As you can see from the title, this will hopefully be an ongoing series.  I am going to show you how to tie flies that I always make sure are in my fly box.  The first pattern is a Frenchie, which is a spin off of the tried and true pheasant tail nymph.  These are much simpler and easier to tie, since they only really involve four materials not counting the hook: bead head, thread, pheasant tail, and wire rib.

Materials
Hook: your favorite hook, I use nymph hooks, scud hooks, whatever
Bead: brass bead or tungsten bead, your choice
Thread: match pheasant tail color
Body: pheasant tail in your choice of color (I carry natural, olive, black, pink)
Rib: ultra wire in your choice of color (I will use something that compliments for a natural look or go crazy with a contrasting color)

Step 1:
Crimp the barb on the hook and slide your bead on

Step 2:
Start your thread and tie your wire rib in

Step 3:
Tie in a tail using the tips of the pheasant tail fibers

Step 4:
Wrap your pheasant tail up the shank to create the body and tie off

Step 5:
Wrap your wire rib up the shank in the opposite direction of the pheasant tail.  This will help to create a little more durable body.  Tie off the wire.

Step 6:
Whip finish or half hitch and you are finished

Variations
Tail: Use wood duck for a tail (or coq de leon)
Hot spot: Add a collar of thread behind the bead head or dub a hot spot behind the bead head
Experiment with different color pheasant tail, wire rib, hot spot, beads, etc.  You are only limited by your imagination.  Every fly has its day!