Materials You Will Need Hook: Mustad 87160 Size 6. Thread: 6/0 White and UTC 140 in Dark Brown. Under body: Waxed Dental Tape. Abdomen: Bug wrap in brown and tan (from the flytyersdungeon.com) Gills: Grey Ostrich Herl. Thorax: Brown Dubbing. Legs: Hen Neck feather, brown-and-black barred. Shell Case: Sealed Turkey.
Step 1: Tie in with white 6/0 thread. Take 3 barbs from a Pheasant tail feather and tie them on the side of the hook facing you. As you apply thread and pressure to the barbs they will spin from the torque to the top of the hook and center themselves. Stop the thread at the last possible part of the bend so you leave enough hook for the fish.
Step 2: Tie in one piece of Bug Wrap for the top and bottom colors of the body. In this case the top is brown and the bottom is tan. Take an ostrich herl and strip the barbs from the tip of one end and tie that end in now. Next, tie in a 15" piece of waxed dental tape and begin to wrap in around the hook to form a thick body.
Step 3: As you wrap the body you will need to melt the tape together. After each wrap pull the tape. It will change from white to clear as the wax melts around the hook shank, forming a mechanical bond by compression. Form the body up to the last bend near the eye.
Step 4: Whip finish the white thread and cut it free of the hook.
Step 5: Clip hackle pliers to the herl, flip the vise and point the hook towards you. The hook will be upside down at this point.
Step 6: Now make an Overhand Knot. Split the top color over the hook. For good instructions on this check out the Woven Stonefly article in the February Issue of Hatches magazine, or get a copy of the Fly Tiers Benchside Reference to Techniques and Dressing Styles (Leeson/Schollmeyer.)
Step 7: Now make two weaves. Then take the herl and pull it over the top of the hook and let it hang (I am referring to the top and the "up" side as shown); do this step again and again. Two weaves, then over; two weaves then over, etc.... DO NOT wrap the herl around the under-side. Keep it going back and forth over the top.
Step 8: Tie in some brown thread. Select a Hen neck feather and strip off the fuzz. Also strip off one side of the barbs and tie it in by the tip.
Step 9: Tie in a 5-to-6 barb wide turkey tailpiece that has been sealed with any sealant of your choice. I use Flex-a-ment.
Step 10: Now wrap in the brown dubbing.
Step 11: Now wrap feather down to the eye to form the legs - DO NOT CROWD THE EYE - WE NEED ROOM FOR THE NEXT TWO STEPS. I make 3 wraps. I also try to have the feather lie so the barbs are lying flat toward the tail.
Step 12: tie the wingcase over the hackle.
Step 13: add eyes.
Step 14: Fold wingcase back over and tie it off with a few wraps, whip finish and clip off the extra case.
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