Hook Partridge attitude extra 4/0 and gamakatsu octopus 1/0
Thread White 6/0
Materials
Under body White bucktail
Veil Silver scales Big Fish fiber
Tail Mixed silver, pink and pearl magnum flashabou
Collar Pink craft fur
Head Magnum diver head
Eyes Flat 8mm
Coating Loon soft head
How to tie it
Run white thread onto the Partridge Attitude Extra 4/0, lay a decent base with criss-cross wraps along the shank and touch it with superglue from the start — on hooks rather than tubes that base has to carry everything.
Double a nine-inch (25cm) length of 50lb titanium wire, pass both ends through the eye of the Gamakatsu octopus 1/0 stinger and pull the loop back over the hook so it locks with the point up; measure the stinger to sit just at the back of the finished head.
Bind both wire tags along the shank with spiralled wraps, fold them back and wrap over them, then saturate the whole thing with glue.
Cut white bucktail to length and tie it in the round rather than on top — spin the bunch around the shank as you tighten so the coverage is even the whole way round — then wrap over the butts to build the foundation.
Tie the silver scales Big Fish fiber in the same way in two bunches, distributing each right around the shank and folding it back before the next, keeping it a hollow tie that builds volume without bulk; take your time getting it evenly distributed and stay relatively slim.
Mix the tail flash: roll silver, pink and pearl magnum flashabou together into one bunch, brush it through if you need to, then split it in half.
Tie the first half in on top of the shank, spread evenly across it, fold it back and tie over the top, spreading it again with your thumbnail; run a few drops of superglue into the tie-in top and bottom so the flash cannot pull out.
Tie the second half in the same way just in front, folding it back and sweeping it rearward over the first.
Wax a dubbing loop, load it with fluorescent pink craft fur for the collar, work the fibers even, then spin it up tight with the bobbin spinner and brush it out.
Wind the craft fur collar forward, sweeping the fibers back with each turn, then brush it again to free trapped and chopped fibers; tie off and secure the thread with superglue.
Glue the magnum diver head on with a gel superglue, which gives you working time to seat it level with the shank, and stick the flat 8mm eyes on.
Coat the head with Loon soft head, then give it a second coat and cure it on a drying wheel or rotating vise so it sets even.