Holographic Flashabou (#6987) Brown holographic flashabou (1 strand)
Bead (1)
Superglue or UV resin Clear uv resin (1 coat)
How to tie it
Bead a size 14 curved hook and start tan UTC 70. Matt ties this from 14 down to 18. The 16 and 18 are his workhorses, and it will go to a 20 if you are patient with the flashy rib.
Tie in a strand of brown holographic Flashabou (#6987) and run it down the shank to just above the barb, then wrap the tan thread back up. That strand carries a reddish highlight that shows through the finished body.
Lay a smooth base layer with the tan thread and give the bobbin a few good spins as you go. Flashabou is harder to wrap than wire, so the smoother the underbody, the cleaner the rib will sit.
Switch to the rusty brown thread and keep building the taper forward from about the halfway mark. Blending the two colours over that midpoint is the whole trick: the butt stays light caramel and the front runs darker brown.
Wrap the Flashabou forward in evenly spaced turns for segmentation, tie it off and nip the excess out.
Build a slightly heavier thorax behind the bead and whip finish, then coat the body. Resin looks prettier for photos, but superglue is tougher, and once it soaks in it really makes the blended body stand out.
Fish it where tan and brown chironomids are hatching - Matt reckons the tan ones in particular are badly underrated.