Lead wire, 0.015 in. Silver lead free wire (Enough to cover the front third of the shank)
Grizzly hackle Grizzly hackle (One feather, 10-15 fibers for the tail, the rest palmered as legs)
Wool yarn (one strand split from 3-ply) Dark brown or black wool yarn (One 6 in. piece for the body and wingcase)
Head cement Clear head cement (One drop)
How to tie it
Wrap 0.015 lead wire over the front third of the shank. Start the brown thread, dam it behind the wire, take a few wraps over it and lock it in front, then run the thread back to the bend.
Strip 10-15 of the longer fibers from a grizzly hackle and tie them in at the bend as a tail about one hook gap long. Bind the butts forward and leave the thread just behind the lead.
Cut a six-inch piece of three-ply wool yarn and split off a single strand. Tie it in behind the lead with a pinch wrap and bind it back to the base of the tail.
Take the thread to about the middle of the shank. Wrap the yarn forward: let it lie flat for the first two turns to keep the rear thin, then start twisting it into a tighter cord with each successive turn so the body builds a taper. Stop at the front of the lead and catch it off on TOP of the shank with two tight wraps.
Fold the yarn back on itself to form a loop over the body and pin it down with a wrap. That loop becomes the wingcase. Push it out of the way for now.
Take the same grizzly feather, size the legs where you want them, strip the stem there and tie it in at the front of the abdomen.
Bring the yarn forward again over the thorax area, laying it flat and stacking a few wraps to make the thorax slightly thicker than the abdomen. Leave room behind the eye and tie off.
Palmer the grizzly hackle forward over the thorax with five or six close turns, more than you think you need, and tie off, trimming the tip and any fibers pointing forward.
Trim a swath of hackle off the top and off the bottom so the barbs remain only on the sides as legs, and blow the clippings clear.
Fold the yarn wingcase forward over the thorax, keeping it centered on top so it forms a fat bulb, lock it down with two wraps and trim it as close as you can.
Take the thread to the eye, build a ramp back up for a head, whip finish and add a drop of head cement.