Wing case Opal mirage mirror tinsel (large tinsel)
Thorax Pheasant tail (Ice Dub)
Finish (UV resin over the wing case)
How to tie it
Slide a 3/32 brown bead onto a size 14 nymph hook and tie a decently long Coq de Leon tail in, binding the butts all the way down into the bend then open-spiralling the thread back up. Coq de Leon is stiff, durable and well marked, which is why it beats soft fibers for tailing.
Bind small copper brown ultra wire down the near side, then tie fiery brown buzzer wrap in centred on top at the rear, and medium opal Mirage tinsel in the same way over it.
Bring the thread down and taper the body, leaving the tan thread showing as the underside. The finished fly is deliberately light below and dark above.
Pull the opal tinsel over the top first, catch it with a few wraps, then bring the buzzer wrap right over the top of it. The tinsel showing faintly through the buzzer wrap is exactly the subtle flash you want.
Tuck the first wire wrap in under the body to hide it, then rib the abdomen with four or five turns, leaving plenty of room for thorax and wing case, and helicopter the wire out.
Tie large opal tinsel in on top for the wing case, dub a buggy thorax of pheasant tail Ice Dub, then pull the wing case over and tie it off close.
Darken the tan collar with a brown Sharpie, whip finish, sweep the Ice Dub fibers down and drop UV resin on the wing case so it runs just onto the buzzer wrap, then cure and brush the legs out.