Tail Spawn Fly Fish Polliwog Tail, olive (1, trimmed)
Body Arizona Simi Seal Mega, olive blended with Canadian olive (1 dubbing loop)
Collar Hot orange thread (2 whip finishes)
Glue Z-ment (generous underbody coat)
Coating Solarez Bone Dry Ultra Plus (as needed)
How to tie it
Set the Ahrex FW550 size 6 in the vice point-up to slide the 4.0 mm FireHole slotted bead on easily, then turn it back to tying position, seat the bead behind the eye and give the hook the ping test.
Start the hot orange 8/0 behind the bead and build a thread ramp: five wraps back and up to the bead, then eight wraps back and up, then once more, each pass adding a little taper so the bead cannot slip back. Lead wraps will do the same job.
Carry the thread all the way to the bend and back up to leave a full thread base.
Trim the thicker end of the polliwog tail so it runs nearly the length of the shank and tie it in. Cut it back rather than leaving it long: a full-length tail fouled on a hook this size, though a bigger hook would carry it.
Form a dubbing loop, put the tool in, advance the thread up behind the eye and whip finish to secure it, then swing the bobbin out of the way on the rest.
Blend the body dubbing in your hand, a larger clump of the darker Canadian olive to a smaller clump of the olive, stacking the fibres as you go so they align. Aligned fibres brush out more easily and come out a more uniform length.
Spread the blend into the loop and spin it up, then brush it out before you wrap anything. Brush against a finger laid along the loop: it protects the thread and limits how much dubbing you tear out.
Lay a generous coat of Z-ment along the underbody to bond the thread to the polliwog tail, and wrap while it is still wet so the dubbing beds into the glue.
Wrap the loop forward, brushing as you go, then bring the thread over, take a wrap behind, a couple in front and one more behind to lock the loop off, and trim it out.
Build a hot orange collar behind the bead, then do a three-turn whip finish and a second one on top of it. This fly is meant to be fished all day through rocks, so the head is doubled up deliberately.
Pull the thread up, snip it on top, and coat the head with Solarez Bone Dry Ultra Plus, curing for ten to fifteen seconds.
Only now brush the body forward and back to shape it. Brushing before the head is sealed will snap the thread.