Tail and body Black ostrich herl (dyed pheasant tail barbs)
Ribbing Red buzzer wrap (flat wire tinsel)
Second ribbing Pink borealis UV (Perdigon UV flat tinsel)
Thorax Dark permanent marker (Hot Spot Dubbing)
Hot spot Orange HDR (Grip 10/0 thread)
How to tie it
Bead the curved C400 with a silver tungsten and start black perdigon body thread. Vasies prefers curved hooks over straight shanks here because the bend gives the fly a more natural profile and a little extra life in the current.
Tie in black pheasant tail barbs at the bend, leaving the tips out as a short tail, then tie in both the pink borealis UV tinsel and the red flat wire.
Wrap the black pheasant barbs forward to the 60% mark as the body.
Rib forward with the pink UV tinsel first, then follow with the red wire laid directly over the tinsel. Doing both is a durability trick. The wire protects the soft tinsel and the two colours together give the contrast that gets grayling to commit.
Dub a small dark Hot Spot Dubbing thorax, then add a few turns of orange Grip 10/0 as a hot collar behind the bead and whip finish.
Tie these small, size 16 down to 18, and fish them for autumn grayling in cooling water.