Materials
| Thread | Clear tieing thread, 1 ½ lb. invisible sewing thread (sewing shop), spin onto a spare spool and use with a bobbin. |
|---|---|
| Hooks | Mustad 94833 size 14-16, Mustad 94842 size 14-16, Tiemco 2302 size 14-16, Mustad 9671 size 14-16, or any long shank dry fly hook size 14-16 |
| Beads | 1/16 (neck) lace beads (Columbia Beads, New West), 5/64 white epoxy brass beads |
| Body Materials | Black Flashabou (Fly Angler), Red Accent (Dragonfly), Black Krystal Flash (actually dark green), Silver Crystal Flash (Super Fly) unspun to lay flat on hook. |
| Alternatives | Birthday and Christmas ribbon have great colours, just cut in strips. Anti static bag strips (3 shades of grey, available at electronics stores). Try different materials and colours to suit. |
| Finish | Hard as Nails or other clear nail polish |
| Tools | Razor blade and a ruler to slice material into 1/16 thin strips |
Notes
Tied for days when trout are picky and chironomids are small, this segmented tinsel-bodied pupa on a fine wire hook with a lace bead head is built up with layers of clear nail polish for translucence. It is fished on a barrel swivel with about three feet of tippet to get down to the target zone quickly, and the author reports it is often the first pattern to catch fish.
Published in June 2010 (Vol 43 No 6), page 12.