Streamer · Salmon/Steelhead · Steelhead · Advanced · 1 version
Tyer Recipe
Hook Small plastic liner tube seated inside a black Eumer teardrop cone, Tube fly, rig with a short-shank trailing hook sized to the dressing
Thread Black
Materials
Eumer teardrop cone Black conehead (1)
Small liner tubing Clear head cement (One length)
Arctic fox tail Black ostrich herl (One normal-size tail bunch)
Schlappen Black saddle hackle (1 feather)
UV-dyed flash Blue flashabou (4-6 fibres)
Eumer monster cone Brass, medium eumer monster cone (1 (front))
Zap-A-Gap or superglue Clear head cement (A touch on the head)
How to tie it
Push a piece of small liner tubing through the black Eumer teardrop cone until 1-2 mm protrudes from the narrow rear end. Touch the blue tip of a lighter flame gently to that stub. It mushrooms and seals, locking the cone on. Mount the assembly on a tube mandrel.
Start the thread on the tube right at the joint between the liner tubing and the cone, lay a short base just in front of the cone and trim the tag. Everything ties in at that one point.
Select a normal-sized bunch of black Arctic fox tail from a part of the hide with less underfur. Grip it near the tips and stroke downward to pull the soft insulating hairs out of the base. A dubbing comb helps, fingers work almost as well.
Measure the fox about an inch back from the tie-in point, measuring from the thickest part of the bunch rather than the wispy tips. Tie it in with a soft loop (go easy on the first wrap, cinch from underneath and then pull) so the hair does not spin around the tube. Trim the butts.
Pick a black schlappen feather with a pointed tip and a tapered base, matched to the size of the fly rather than an oversized one. Strip the fuzzy base barbs off and check the barb length by pulling a few fibres. You want them about the length of the body section, not so long they overwhelm the hair wing. Strip back to that point and clip to expose bare stem.
Tie the stem in on the far side of the tube, using moderate tension. A tube will spin if you pull too hard. Take about three turns of hackle, each placed directly in front of the last, stroking the fibres back and folding them rearward as you wrap. Tie off, clip the stem, then hold the fibres back and bind them so they sweep into a cone shape.
Tie in four to six fibres of UV blue flash over the top: come from underneath, lift the thread with the material into place, and secure with a soft loop. Trim the front, then trim the flash to varying lengths. A couple inside the body and tail, one or two just outside.
Whip finish a short head, no need for many wraps, and touch a drop of Zap-A-Gap or superglue to the top of the thread.
Slide a medium brass Eumer monster cone onto the front of the tube, take the fly off the mandrel, invert it and trim the tube to 1-2 mm above the cone. Touch the flame to that stub so it mushrooms and seals the cone and the whole dressing in place. Slide it back on the mandrel briefly to reopen the melted end so leader passes through easily.