Hook 1XL nymph or wet fly hook, #10-16 (tied here on a #10)
Thread Black 70 denier
Materials
Floss Yellow floss (One strand for the tag)
Wire, brassie Gold wire (One length for the rib)
Golden pheasant crest fibers Golden pheasant crest (A small bunch for the tail (the tyer used ringneck pheasant crest))
Peacock herl Natural peacock herl (Six strands for the covert / wing case)
Yellow floss or spun fur dubbing Bright yellow dubbing (A long noodle, two applications)
Mallard flank fibers Natural barred wood duck flank (A small bunch split to each side)
Head cement Clear head cement (One drop)
How to tie it
Mount a #10 1XL nymph hook and lay a black thread base back to the tail position.
Catch in a strand of yellow floss where the front of the tag will be, then take four big open wraps of thread rearward, count them, so you know exactly how far to come back to catch the tag off.
Wrap the floss to form a tag two or three millimetres long, back the thread up those four wraps, and secure it; don't worry about fuzz, the body will cover it.
Move the thread forward, tie in gold brassie wire for the rib and bind it back to the tail position.
Tie in a small bunch of golden crest fibres as the tail, angled slightly up.
At the front of the body, tie in about six strands of peacock herl pointing forward - Jim Quick calls this the covert; four strands isn't enough.
Wax the thread, take it to the rear and dub a bright yellow body all the way forward to just behind the eye, in a couple of applications if needed.
Bring the peacock herl forward over the top of the body and catch it off at the front, then wind the gold wire forward in open turns to lock the herl down and tie it off.
Flatten the area behind the eye with a few thread wraps, then tie in a small bunch of mallard flank with the tips pointing forward, snip off the rear butts, split the bunch in half and work it with figure-eight wraps until half stands out from each side as side whiskers.
Take the thread in front of the whiskers, push them back slightly, lock them with a few wraps, whip finish and add a drop of head cement.