Note: This recipe has not been verified against a documented source, or disagrees with one. Treat the materials and steps as unconfirmed.
Fish Tales dressing
Hook TMC 5262, 8-16
Thread Black Semperfli (100 denier Nanosilk 6/0
Materials
Foam 2mm craft foam
Hackle Grizzly rooster cape feather (slightly under sized)
Dubbing Peacock ice dub
Wing Bull Elk hair
Indicator 2mm craft foam
Legs Rubber legs
How to tie it
Start the Black Semperfli Nanosilk with plenty of wraps trapped before letting go, then bind a flat thread base back to just above the hook barb, counter-spinning the bobbin whenever the thread cords.
Touch a little super glue along the shank, lay the black strip of 2mm craft foam on top starting at the barb, take a loose wrap and tighten, pinching the foam as you bind so it seats without twisting; catch it again on the way back to thin the tie-in.
Select a grizzly rooster cape feather with barbs about one hook gap long, strip off the fluff and a short length of stem, and tie it in by the base at the bend with the inside of the feather toward the shank.
Touch low-tack wax to the thread, pinch on Peacock Ice Dub twisting in one direction only, and dub a plump abdomen forward from the bend, adding dubbing as you go.
Palmer the hackle forward through the abdomen in evenly spaced turns, take two wraps over the top at the front, lock it with securing wraps and snip the excess.
Fold the foam forward over the abdomen, trim its front end just past the hook eye, and bind it with a loose wrap then a firm one while holding the head; advance the thread a short jump forward and bind again, holding the foam so it does not twist, to form a neck.
Snip a clump of Bull Elk hair, stroke out the underfur and shorts, stack it, and measure with the tips rearward so they reach just past the back of the abdomen. Snip the butts flush, then pin-trap the hair with the corded thread: two wraps, pull toward you so it flares, a wrap between, pull again to lock it.
Cut the pink 2mm craft foam indicator thinner than the body, lay it from just behind the head to about two-thirds of the way up the wing, and bind it with a band of wraps, holding it square as you go.
Cut a length of rubber legs roughly a body length, fold it in half, and bind it at the middle of the fly with two wraps, pulling the loop over the top so one leg sits on each side.
Dub a little more Peacock Ice Dub over the leg wraps to suggest a thorax, then fold the foam head back, snip the excess foam, and take one more wrap closing around the head.
Touch super glue to the thread for a wet whip finish, make a four- or five-turn whip finish, pull tight and snip. Knock the corners off the foam head, then push the legs forward and rear without stretching them so the rear pair sits about even with the wing.