Bead Tungsten, flat black, 3.3 mm. Deliberately oversized (1)
Tail Turkey biots, black (2)
Wings Turkey biots, black (2)
Body Opal tinsel, medium (1 strip)
Rib Brassie wire, black (1 strand)
Thorax Textreme Brill 5 mm, black (5-7 wraps)
Wing case Opal tinsel, large (1 strip)
Head Loon Thick then Loon Flow UV resin (1 drop each)
How to tie it
Slide an oversized 3.3 mm flat black tungsten bead, a size the chart puts on a 10 to 14, onto a size 16 Stealth C hook. The whole design brief is getting down fast, and the big bead also leaves room for the bulky thorax. Mount the hook pointing down, which gives you a better view for setting the biots.
Pull four black turkey biots and set two aside. Flip the first two against each other so both curve outwards rather than matching, and slide one down each side of the shank.
Pinch them in place and take three or four wraps, then check the length: about a shank length pointing straight back, judged as if the hook were straight. Trim the excess and bind the butts down with tight wraps, going carefully as you work back towards the biots.
Bring the thread up to the bead and tie in black brassie wire on top of the shank, curving it round to the far side as you bind it back.
Tie in a strip of medium opal tinsel, bind it down the shank (again, gently over the biots) and take the thread back up to the bead.
Wrap the tinsel forward with overlapping wraps, snug, taking your time. Overlapping means you see tinsel rather than the black thread underneath.
Rib the wire forward from the biots in five to seven even segments, then two or three extra turns behind the bead for a little more weight.
Tie in a strip of large opal tinsel about an eighth of an inch back from the bead, pointing straight back, ready to fold forward as the wing case.
Tie in black Textreme 5 mm Brill and take five to seven touching wraps, then work back over them. It builds bulk the way dubbing would, but coarser and flashier. Tie off and trim.
Trim the top of the thorax flat and take a little off the sides. Cleaning it up like this makes the next two steps much easier.
Set the remaining two biots as wings, angled up towards the centre of the eye, with a couple of loose wraps to place each one before locking down. Once you cut the thread they can shift, so leave them alone afterwards.
Pull the large tinsel up and over between the wings. It splits the biots and sets them at even angles. Remember that when you place them.
Tie the tinsel off, build a small back, and put in a single whip finish.
Small drop of Loon Thick worked up over the back to make a low hump, cure ten to fifteen seconds, then a drop of Loon Flow rubbed in the same motion. While the Flow is still soft, set the biots at whatever angle you want and cure them there.