Hook: I
prefer a size 14 3xl streamer hook for trout and a size 12 2xl nymph
hook for panfish and smallmouth bass.
Thread: Black
Danville 3/0.
Weight: 8-12
wraps of thin (.015") lead wire. I like to keep the lead wire
wraps forward of a horizontal line to the hook point (see photo
below). This fly fishes well with a bead head, too. For
deep fishing, I tie a few with both lead wire and a brass bead
head.
Tail:
Clump of rabbit fur. (For a fluffier appearance, use
a bigger clump and pull out most of the guard hairs.) I like the
tail to be about the length of the shank, in typical bugger
style. Start the tail approximately above the barb. Snip the
excess hair, and tie down the butt-ends in the space to the
rear of the lead wire wraps. Below, a few more thread wraps
and a smooth underbody will be created.
Body: Tie in
3-4 peacock herls and 2 strands of black Krystal Flash. Trim
the butt ends.
Tie in hackle:
Tie in a dun hen neck hackle, tip first. I like to tie it
in about 2mm forward of the herl tie-in point, so that the herl can
be wrapped once behind the feather before being wrapped
forward.
Prepare hackle:
Snip off the feather tip and tie it down. Strip off
one side of the hackle fibers.
Wrap herl:
Apply head cement over the top of the thread wraps.
You can see it shining in the picture below. Twist the herl
and Krystal Flash to make a rope. Spiral the rope forward with
one turn behind the feather stem before continuing to the front of
the hook.
Tie off
herl: Tie off the herl-Krystal Flash rope behind the
eye and cut off the excess material.
Wrap hackle:
Using 5-6 wraps, spiral the hackle foward and tie off
behind the eye.
Head: Create a head with tying
thread, cut the thread and coat the head with glossy clear nail
polish.
