Thread Purple silk body; black head Purple silk French thread for body; 18/0 black for head
Materials
Silk thread Purple flex floss (Forms the entire body)
Hungarian partridge feather Natural partridge (1)
How to tie it
Start the purple silk thread just behind the eye with a jam knot, leaving room at the front for hackle and head; bind and trim the tag.
Wrap flattened touching turns of purple silk down the shank to just past the bend.
Spin the thread clockwise to cord it up, then wind it back up the body in open turns so the corded thread ribs the smooth silk beneath.
Take a few extra wraps at the front to build a small thorax bump.
Whip finish the purple silk once, pull very tight, and cut it clean.
Start the black thread right in front of the purple thorax.
Prepare the partridge feather: strip the fluff and unneeded lower fibers, sweep the remaining fibers back with hackle pliers on the tip, and trim the tip into a small triangle anchor.
Wax the thread on both sides, tie the anchor in close to the hook, and wind one to one and a half turns of partridge, handling the delicate stem gently. Wiggle the thread through the hackle, take one turn in front, and snip the remainder away.
Sweep the fibers back, build a small black head, check the hackle is even all round, and whip finish.