Body Stripped and Dyed Chinese Rooster Neck Quills
Hackle Ginger Rooster Neck Hackle
How to tie it
Start the Magpie Materials thread at about 75% and wrap back to the bend.
Tie in a fairly heavy clump of Dark Dun Spade Hackle Fibers at the bend, just slightly longer than a shank. Bind the butts forward to the 70% point (trim them if they run longer), run the thread to the eye and back to 80%. Stroke the tail upward so it cants and splays slightly like the natural.
Take two Medium Dun "Winger" Hen Cape Feathers, even the tips, and oppose them so they curve away from each other. Measure them one hook length - back of the eye to the outside of the bend - and trim the butts. Set them at the 80% point with a reverse pinch wrap, anchor the butts, sweep them back, and build a small thread dam in front to stand them up. Take an X-wrap between the wings to splay them a little wider than usual.
Bump the thread back behind the wings. Select one cream and one pink Stripped and Dyed Chinese Rooster Neck Quills, the cream about twice the diameter of the pink, and tie both in along the near side of the hook, wrapping back over them to the bend.
Wrap both quills forward together, butting each turn against the last with a fingernail; the quills' natural taper builds the body taper. Tie off behind the wings, trim both quills, smooth the butt with thread, then run the thread to the eye and back to the front edge of the wings.
Strip the Ginger Rooster Neck Hackle to a bare stem and tie it in just in front of the wings. Take the first turn at the back edge of the wings and two more working back toward the body, then one diagonal turn back through those to splay them fore and aft. Take the next turns in front of the wings toward the eye and one more turn through them the same way.
Whip finish, trim the thread, and sweep the tail up once more.