Body hackles Claret + black, palmered together (2)
Head hackle Blue jay (collar)
How to tie it
Mount the hook and run claret thread from behind the eye to a point above the barb.
Snip a small pinch of golden pheasant tippet and bind it in as a short tail, one half-shank long, then catch in a length of fine gold oval rib at the same point.
Select a claret and a black cock hackle, strip the fluff, and tie both in by their tips at the tail so they are ready to palmer forward together.
Dub a thin, spiky rope of claret seal fur and wrap a slim tapered body forward, stopping one eye-length short of the eye.
Palmer the claret and black hackles forward together in 4-5 open turns over the body, keeping the two feathers married as one.
Counter-wind the gold rib forward through the hackle in 4-5 turns, wiggling it so it locks down the stems without crushing the fibers, then tie off and snip the rib and hackle tips.
Tie in a blue jay hackle by the tip and take 2 turns as a front collar, sweeping the fibers back, then bind down and snip the surplus.
Build a neat head, whip finish and add a drop of varnish.