Brown mallard (tail and wing) Brown mallard (1 small slip for the tail, 1 matched slip for the wing)
Tinsel (rib) Gold oval tinsel (1 length)
Floss or wool (body) Yellow floss (1 length)
Hen hackle fibers (throat) Brown hen hackle (1 small bunch)
How to tie it
Mount a size 8 traditional wet fly hook and lay a smooth black thread base back to the bend.
Tie in a small slip of brown mallard as the tail at the bend and give it a gentle pull to seat it.
Tie in the gold rib on top at the bend, then tie in the yellow body material at the same point.
Wrap the body forward: pull it tight over the tie-in bump then relax your grip so the turns stay touching. Stop short of the eye, wrap back over the rear bump, and come forward again so the taper evens out. Tie off.
Rib with the gold tinsel, one turn at the very back, then even open spirals forward. Tie off.
Tie in a small bunch of brown hen fibers as a throat underneath, reaching about to the hook point.
Tie in a matched slip of brown mallard as the wing, about the length of the hook, low over the body. Trim the butts.
Build a small neat head, whip finish, and add head cement.