As tied by Waters West Fly Shop (green and blue, seahawk)
Thread White
Materials
Hook Pre-tied shank (how the shank is tied is not shown)
Thread White 210 denier for the body, then finer blue thread for finishing
Tail Chartreuse bucktail, about three-quarters of a pencil width
Flash Electric blue Flashabou, 20 strands, doubled over the thread
Eyes Extra small lead eyes
Body Danville chenille, fluorescent yellow, medium
Underwing support Stretch Flex (six-pack rings as a substitute)
Marabou 1 Fish-Hunter fluorescent chartreuse UV
Marabou 2 Kingfisher blue
Wing Two feathers from one cape, dyed kingfisher blue, flattened stems
How to tie it
Put a pre-tied shank in the vise and start white thread with two wraps, one crossing over to lock it in; trim the tag and run the thread to the back.
Take a small clump of chartreuse bucktail about three-quarters of a pencil width, pull all the underfur out and check the tips are even.
Add super glue, line the bucktail up so it reaches at least to the end of the hook, make a couple of loose wraps, lift up on the bucktail and tighten; work the thread to the front and trim the excess.
Double 20 strands of electric blue Flashabou over the thread, pull down tight on the shank and wrap toward the back, working the strands round with a thumbnail so they cover the top of the bucktail.
Pull up on the Flashabou and taper-cut it so the strands are different lengths.
Peel about an eighth of an inch of medium fluorescent yellow chenille to expose the core and tie it in with three wraps.
Lash the lead eyes on with figure eights, centred, then wraps round the eyes; add super glue.
Work the thread back a little, add super glue on the shank and wrap the chenille forward in touching turns, pulling it tight against the shank; tie off and trim.
Wrap Stretch Flex on and set it aside.
Prepare a chartreuse marabou feather by peeling the fluff from the stem and cutting the tip to a small triangle, tie it in, wet it, wrap it forward brushing the fibres back, tie off and trim; spread the marabou so there is the same amount on each side.
Tie in a second piece of chenille in front of the marabou and wrap it almost to the eyes to make a bump for the front collar.
Throw half hitches, cut off the white thread and change to the finer blue thread.
Tie in a kingfisher blue marabou feather the same way, wrap it forward brushing the fibres back, tie off the stem, trim, and even the fibres on both sides.
Pull the Stretch Flex over the marabou to keep it down toward the belly, wrap it over the top, once below and once more to lock it in, then trim close.
Flatten the stems of the first blue-dyed feather with a fingernail, size it to overlap the tail slightly and tie it on flat as a wing; do the same with a slightly smaller second feather from the same cape.
Figure-eight over the eyes, push the feather stems back through the eye, take a few more wraps to lock them down, and trim the stems.