The first version of the article was lost in the transfer to the new server, and thus, this it's not identical to the first one as I had no back-up of the text on my computer (that'll teach me!). I've written it again as I, thank God, had the images backed up!
Apart from all the normal flytying tools, here are a few gadgets you're going to need to tie this style of fly. At the top, cones. They balance the fly in the water and they create a little turbulence along the fly as it swims through the water making the materials "breathe" more!
The tube is two pieces of tubing, the thinner glued into the thicker.
Tube needle, which is a felting needle. It works as the needle has three different diameters and you simply place the tube in your vice and then press the tube onto the needle until it sticks!
Begin by glueing the thinner tube into the thicker tube. I've used an orange tube here - they add a little extra, but the transparant standard plastic tube is fine. Puch the tube onto the needle until it sticks and then attach your thread and the read - leaving 5-6mm of bare tube to insert the hook into. Habitually, I tie all parts of a fly that aren't black with white thread. I use Uni 8/0 or Benecchi 12/0.
Tag and butt are complete here - both were tied in at the bottom of the tube, tag turned 6 times and the 6th turn covered by the first turn of the butt, so 5 wraps of silver tinsel are exposed. Unless counterribbing a body or a hackle, I turn all materiales the same way as the thread - that gives my maximum tension when I tie off materials.
Attach the orange Fluorofiber for the tail where you want the silver rear body to end. Tie in at the midpoint of the hanks with 1 or 2 wraps. Now, double the hanks backwards and tie down to where the butt ends. This secures the tail and remember, as you double the material, only cut a bunch half as thick as you need from the bunch.
Cut the tail to length, I like them longish, and taper it to a point with your scissors. Bring the thread forward in open turns to where the tail is tied down and attach FlatBraid and ovel tinsel for body and ribbing.
Turn the FlatBraid over the part where the tail material is doubled and tie off. Make suere it's even and has no gaps. Bring the thread forward to where the thin tube meets the thick one and dub the thread, thinly, with your preferred dubbing. I generally use either SLF or, as here, Salmo Supreme Dub.
With the dubbing, smooth out the joint between the two tubes and dub backwards in a thin layer to where the silver rear body ends and dub forwards again, keeping the dubbing very thin.
Aim for a 1/3 - 2/3 distribution of the silver/dubbed bodyparts. Now, attach a long black cock hackle. The tube has a large diameter and is long, so you really need a long feather to palmer the entire body. Aim to use the entire taper of the feahter meaning the feather should be completely used up as you reach the end, just having enough to hold onto with the hackleplier.
Palmer the black hackle backwards in 5 turns and catch with the hackle with the silver ribbing. Counter rib in 5 turns all the way up the front of the tube and secure on the underside of the tube.
With a piece of velcro, tease out the dubbing to give more lige and volume to the fly. Bring some it underneath the tube to allow for the wing. If you want, I I usually do this now, leave the dubbing to point in all directions as that will help lift the wing slightly preventing fouling.
Add flash - here I'm using silver Crystal Flash and Pearl Mirrorflash. At the midpoint of the hank, lift both up under the thread, gently double backwards and take one turn of thread over the doubled flash and hey presto, you have secured 4 strands of flash with one turn of thread! It all counts :-)
Now select a good bunch of soft hair, I'm using Artic Fox, and trim out the fluff fro the base end with your velcro. Tie in with 4-5 turns of thread and make sure it's slightly longer than the tail.
Using only a a few turns, everything is kept neat at the front. Attach a piece of red Crystal Flash in the same way as described above and cut the base ends of the fox really tight and neat. Remember, at the end everything has to fit inside the conehead.
I like to use Ringneck Pheasant rumpfeathers for fronthackles. They are long in the fiber, soft and dirt cheap. Select a feather of appropriate size and stroke the fibres backwards and cut of the tip, the very center of the feather, leaving a little triangle to tie in. Clean the rest of the feather by ripping of the fluff, but make sure to leave just a little fluff to be tied in.
Tie in by the little triangle and wrap the hackle, using up the entire feather.
Stroke the fibres downwards to the side and underside of the tube and secure them in this position with a single turn of thread.
Now for the overwing. Still using Artic Fox, I tie in the overwing longer than the underwing and in front off the hackle!!! By making the wing a little longer I accentuate the taper that is already present in both bunches of hair. Add a little more flash over the top of the wing using the same method as before - I use blue and silver Crystal Flash.
Add a few drops of Superglue to the thread wraps and slide the cone in place and hold tight for 10 seconds - the cut off thread and the lip of the cone.
Finally, cut off the tube 3-5mm in front of the cone and with a lighter, melt down a little collar to secure the cone in place.
The taper of the wing is very obvious seen from above.
And the volume of the fly is equally obvious seen from the front of the fly.
I hope that been to some inspiration to you - have fun tying!
Viking Lars