#20 dry fly hook
6/0 waxed nylon black thread
Body/Abdomen: ultra fine black dubbing
Abdomen: extra small wire - wine color
Wings: peacock hurling
1. Tie in XSM wire.
2. Dub thread and make body somewhat fat in diameter.
3. I go over this dubbing again with the thread to flatten out any stray dubbing fuzz, I also pat a little water on the dubbing prior to wrapping on the hook. Once the dubbing is wrapped tight, going over the dubbing with just the bare thread will compress moisture out of the dubbing and you can tell areas that have not been covered with the bare thread.
4. Finish the thread near the eye with about 10 whip finishes. I do this to start creating a "ball" or a head for this fly.
5. Wrap about 7-8 turns of the XSM wire (this will leave about 5-6 exposed on the body once all the whip finishes are completed on this fly). Whip finish the wire with 5-6 whips.
6. Tie in a piece of peacock hurling on the top / side of the head with several wraps of thread (either whip finish so you thread does not come off…or tie in the 2nd wing). Cut the hurling length just behind the hook bend (using the vise as a brace and let the scissors touch the hook is a good gauge).
7. Tie in the 2nd wing on the top / side of the head.
8. Now whip finish with about 20 whips. This will cover up the wings where they are attached and makes them appear connected just behind the head. The objective here is to also create a "bead" head that is round.
9. Place a dab of cement on head. I rotate the vise to smear the glue all around the head.
Fishing techniques: I dead drift this in riffles without a weight, usually in swift water. Have not had much success on strips but they take it in shallow water (where I usually fish).
Tied by John Bocquet
