Hook streamer hook (Umpqua 400 BL); also tied on a jig hook for euro rigs, 8-10
Thread 50 denier gel-spun
Materials
Bead Hanak copper (3.5 mm)
Tail and wing Pine squirrel zonker strip (1 strip, pierced onto the hook)
Body Senyo's Fusion Dub, green (a loose dubbed rope)
Flash Ice Dub, pearl (a small pinch)
Hot spot Hends Spectra Dub no. 958, red (2 small pinches)
Collar Pine squirrel fur, cut from the hide, in a dubbing loop (1 short piece)
How to tie it
Slide the 3.5 mm copper bead onto a size 8 streamer hook, then take the hook out of the vice and spike it straight through the centre of the pine squirrel zonker strip. Do it with the fly upside down so that when the fly inverts and rides bead-down, hook point up, the top of the strip is genuinely on top. It is fiddly but it is worth doing.
Remount the hook, start the 50 denier gel-spun thread and flip the hook back over.
Spread the fibres of the strip slightly and put in a few wraps over the top to lock the zonker in place at the rear.
Advance the thread forward a little and dub Senyo's Fusion Dub on loosely as the body. It does not need to be neat. It is there for a contrasting green against the squirrel.
Leave a small gap at the front and add a pinch of pearl Ice Dub, wrapping a few times and pulling the front fibres back so the flash sits under the body.
Add a little red Spectra Dub in the same way. It looks like a step you could skip, but the red is what pulls fish in.
Bring the zonker strip forward, capture it, clip the hide off very close and lock it down hard. Pinch the long fibres back if they need shortening.
Spin a small dubbing loop, jam a short piece of the zonker strip into it and trim it so only the fur is in the loop. Cutting the fur off the hide rather than wrapping the strip is deliberate, wrapping the hide builds far too much bulk for the amount of fur you get.
Spin the loop up and wrap the collar, preening the fibres back as you go and wetting your fingers to keep them under control.
Add a last little pinch of the same red dubbing as a hot spot on the collar.
Whip finish a few times and trim. Head cement is optional and he does not use it.
Brush the body out so the Fusion Dub and the other dubbings come through, sweep everything back, and taper the rear end of the zonker strip to a point.