Body Cream and Pink Stripped and Dyed Rooster Neck Quills
Hackle Ginger Rooster Neck Hackle
How to tie it
Start the thread at about 75% of the shank and wrap back to the bend.
Tie in a fairly heavy clump of Dark Dun Spade Hackle Fibers at the bend for the tail, a little longer than a shank. Bind forward over the butts, which should end at about 70%; trim them there if they run longer. Take the thread up to the eye and back to 80%, then stroke the tail upward so it splays slightly.
Pick two Medium Dun Winger Hen Cape Feathers with rounded tips, even the tips and oppose them so they curve away from each other. Measure a full hook length, back of the eye to the outside of the bend, and trim the stems there. Set them at the 80% point with a reverse pinch wrap, a couple of turns before letting go, then anchor the butts.
Sweep the wings back and build a small thread dam in front of them to stand them up, then preen them into position. Take an X-wrap between the two wings to spread them a little wider than usual, and bump the thread back to just behind the wings.
Take one cream and one pink Stripped and Dyed Rooster Neck Quill, the cream about twice the diameter of the pink, soaked in warm water for half an hour beforehand. Tie both in along the near side of the hook and bind back over them to the bend.
Wrap both quills forward together, butting each turn tight against the last with a fingernail; the natural taper of the quills builds the body taper and the two colours give the variegation. Tie off behind the wings, trim both quills and smooth the tie-off with thread. Run the thread up to the eye and back to the front edge of the wings.
Prepare a Ginger Rooster Neck Hackle to bare stem and tie it in just in front of the wings. Take the first turn behind the wings at their back edge, then two more turns working rearward to the front edge of the body, then one diagonal turn back through those three to dishevel and splay the hackle.
Take the next turn right in front of the wings, two more turns forward, and one turn back through those to splay them the same way, so the collar fans toward both eye and bend rather than sitting in a cone. Tie off, whip finish and trim. Stroke the tail up once more; a drop of thinned head cement over the quill body and head is optional.