Nymph · Trout · Grayling · Intermediate · 1 version
Lucian Vasies
Hook Maruto D04 BL HWW, 14-16
Thread Brown Sumo Power 50 denier
Materials
Tail Rubion (pardo or indio) (Coq de Leon barbs)
Body Brown-reddish (pheasant tail barbs)
Ribbing Copper thorax stripe (wire)
Thorax White uni stretch (Belgian rabbit dubbing mixed with white Spectra dubbing)
Thorax thread Orange hot spot thread (tying thread)
How to tie it
Start brown Sumo 50 denier thread on the D04 and tie in a short Coq de Leon Rubion tail at the bend.
Tie in the copper wire rib, then wrap a slim body of brown-reddish pheasant tail barbs forward to the 60% mark.
Rib forward with copper wire in five or six open turns and tie off. Counter-wrapping the wire against the direction of the pheasant makes the fragile barbs last several fish instead of one.
Blend white Belgian rabbit with white Spectra dubbing and dub a prominent thorax. This mix is the important part of the fly. The rabbit gives an opaque white while the Spectra throws green and blue reflexes, and that contrast underwater is what Dona's pattern is built on.
Switch to orange thread and build a small collar at the front, then whip finish.
Fish it as a general searching nymph. It looks unconventional in the box but it is a consistent producer anywhere.