Set the Daiichi 2055 gold Alec Jackson spey hook, size 3, and start the Semperfli Nano Silk 12/0 — it grips the hook hard without slipping.
Tie in oval silver tinsel (a twisted tinsel holds up better and does not fray open to show white when you turn it) and take four or five turns for the tag. Bind it with a few turns behind and a few in front, and leave the scrap end long rather than snipping it flush — it helps build the body up.
Tie in bright yellow floss for the butt. Turn it about half a turn at a time, then run your fingers over it front to back and back to front to flatten it so it does not wrinkle. Leave a little scrap to bulk the body and bind it down.
Set a golden pheasant crest feather on as the tail, then lay a few red hackle fibres over it reaching about three quarters of its length, then a few strands of teal duck fibres over the red. Hold thumb and forefinger right above the bunch as you wrap so the fibres do not twist round the shank.
Give a black ostrich herl a twist before wrapping — the grain runs sideways, so twisting makes it roll up on itself instead of crushing flat. Take it round as the butt and bind it in.
Tie in the oval tinsel for the rib, carrying it on the underside of the fly, then tie in the body braid — the recipe asks for flat embossed silver tinsel; this is Diamond braid, which has texture and is easier to work. Roll it forward over the body all the way to the front, leaving yourself a little space at the head, and cut it off.
Spiral the oval tinsel forward over the body in about four or five turns for the ribbing and tie it off.
Pick a white calf tail with straight, untwisted hair and cut a bunch long enough for the wing. Pull out the bad fibres and set it on top as naturally as possible without stacking. Make three or four turns, pull the butts up towards the top, hold them between the fingers and retighten.
Wrap the soft orange hen hackle at the front, pushing the hackle to the back and palmering it rearward so the fibres sweep back over the body.
Build the head with the black Nano Silk, finish, and put a dab of head cement on it.