Marabou Black marabou (Fibers stripped from one side of a plume, folded to build the bunch)
Crystal flash Pearl flashabou (1-2 strands only)
Hawgfish mohair dubbing brush/chenille Black multi (blues, purples, reds, greens) (One length for the body)
Head cement Clear head cement (1 drop)
How to tie it
Slide the 1/8 in. gold bead on, start 12/0 nano silk behind it and trim the tag.
Build the marabou tail bunch: strip fibers off one side of a black marabou plume, fold them over, strip the same side again and fold again, repeating until you have the bulk you want.
Wet the bunch to judge length, about one and a half shank-lengths. Wax the thread, offer the marabou up right behind the bead and give the bobbin a counterclockwise spin so the thread lands on top of the bundle rather than rolling it. Bind it back to the bend, no farther, going under the marabou and over it three times, pulling forward toward the bead each time you go under.
Tie in one or two strands of crystal flash so they extend just past the tail, doubling them over: two strands down the far side and two down the near side. Trim them level with the longest marabou. Never cut marabou to length. Rip it with your fingers so the tips stay natural.
Expose the centre core at the end of the Hawgfish mohair dubbing brush by stripping the fibers back, and tie the bare core in at the base of the tail. If there is a bald spot in the fibers, cut back to where they start rather than wrapping empty core.
Wrap the mohair brush forward in touching turns to the bead, pulling it tight into the back of the bead on the last turn. Tie off with wraps over the top and in front, and trim.
Put a little head cement on the thread, whip finish right behind the bead and trim.
Brush the whole body out aggressively with a stiff dubbing brush, working forwards and backwards, to free the trapped mohair strands and make the fly properly leechy.