Pheasant tail fibres Natural pheasant tail fibers (8 per side)
Ice Dub Pheasant tail (Head)
How to tie it
Start Uni-Stretch about three hook-eye lengths back from the eye and dress the shank, then tie in rust UTC Vinyl D-Rib and set it aside. Starting back from the eye leaves the room a dragon's broad head needs.
Build the body with Uni-Stretch, deliberately shaping the fat, booty profile a real dragonfly nymph carries. Keep it smooth as you go. Every later step is easier on a smooth base.
Cut the Uni-Stretch away and wrap Veevus Body Quill in rust over it. The quill gives a sheen and a colour that matches a natural almost exactly. If it does not fully cover the underbody, that is fine. A mottled look is never a bad thing on a dragon.
Reattach rust brown thread at the front and barber-pole the D-Rib forward to segment the body. The first turn is fiddly; once it seats, D-Rib really pops and it is not stretchy enough to fight you.
Tie in a 1/4 inch strip of brown stone scud back for the wing case, a loose wrap, a quick snatch, then a couple of wraps to lock it, and manoeuvre it into place.
Lash small bead chain eyes on the underside. The tyer tried mono eyes and others and settled on bead chain: it adds enough weight to get down, and mounting them below keeps the fly riding true rather than upside down.
Add about eight pheasant tail fibres per side reaching back to the rear edge of the body, dub a small head of pheasant tail Ice Dub, pull the scud back over and whip finish behind the head. The eyes should just poke out either side of the quarter-inch case. That is the look you want.