Hook Standard-length dry fly hook, barbless, #16-20 (tied on a #20)
Thread Black 52 denier
Materials
Tail Black (red is also called for) (8-10 hackle fibers)
Body Natural gray muskrat dubbing (Muskrat dubbing, underfur only)
Wing White calf (A small pinch of calf tail, Trude style)
Hackle Black hackle (One small dry fly feather)
How to tie it
Catch the black thread on mid-shank of a #20 standard dry fly hook and wrap back to the start of the bend.
Roll eight to ten black hackle fibers between your fingers to spread them, measure them about one body length, and tie them in at the bend as the tail; trim the excess.
Bring the thread to the front of the tail, add a little wax if you like (muskrat is oily enough without it), snip a small tuft of muskrat and pull the guard hairs out.
Dub a thin, slightly tapered muskrat body forward over about two-thirds of the shank; snip off any tuft that hangs out rather than trying to fix it.
Stack a small pinch of white calf tail and tie it in Trude style as a downwing, tips about a body length and reaching just past the bend; take a few wraps going back to lock it in.
Snip the butt ends off up front and spend a couple of wraps smoothing the step down.
Tie a small black dry fly hackle in right in front of the wing with a few securing wraps.
With hackle pliers, take two or three turns of black hackle, that is all this fly needs to float, then tie off with a couple of extra wraps to secure the stem.
Whip finish a tiny head and add the smallest drop of head cement.