Antron dubbing Amber (any colour works. The book shows green) (Body)
Peacock herl Natural peacock herl (2 strands)
Partridge after-shaft feather Grey natural partridge after shaft feather (1 (hen or pheasant also work))
Partridge shoulder feather Natural partridge (1)
How to tie it
Lay a base of tan thread from behind the eye to the start of the bend.
Wax the thread and spin on an Antron noodle. Thin at the front, thicker toward the back. Push it up close to the hook, take two or three wraps to get purchase, then pull and spin it tighter and wrap the body forward to just past the 50% point.
Tie in two strands of peacock herl at the front of the body and take four or five turns forward, twisting them together if they start to spread. This gives the fly its two-tone body. Tie off. You can put tension on the thread and simply break the herl off, saving the rest for the next fly, but take a couple of extra wraps to make sure the ends are caught.
Take a partridge after-shaft feather (found under the saddle feathers on the skin) and tie it in at the front of the herl. This feather is delicate, so wrap it with your fingers rather than hackle pliers. Two or three turns, pushing it round and holding it as you go.
Trim the tip off the after-shaft and take a few extra wraps to smooth the base for the hackle.
Select a partridge shoulder feather, grip the tip and pull the barbs back to make a tie-in point, then tie it in on the near side with two or three firm wraps.
Take a couple of smoothing wraps, grip the tip with hackle pliers and wrap two full turns of partridge hackle. Two is enough. Tie off and trim the stem.
Sweep the hackle back and build a good-sized wet fly head, leaving the thread at the rear of the head before you whip finish so no wraps slip forward and crowd the eye.
Whip finish carefully without trapping hackle fibres, trim, and add head cement.