Invicta Flies - Prince Vlad
Hook: Mustad 3906B, #12
Thread: Danville's Prewaxed 6/0, black
Tail: black hen hackle fibers
Ribbing: fine oval silver tinsel
Body: rear 3/4 flat silver tinsel; front 1/4 red seal dubbing or similar
Body Hackle: medium ginger over dubbed portion only
Hackle: black hen
Wing: dark gray mallard quill segment & narrow strip of scarlet mallard, married
Head: glossy black
Tying Instructions:
1.) Place hook in vise and secure thread, ending at bend.
2.) Tie in a few fibers of black hen hackle for the tail, length equal to 2/3 hook shank.
3.) Tie in ribbing by securing to the bottom of the shank along the entire lenth of what will become the body. Use smooth, even thread wraps, ending up again at the bend.
4.) Tie in the body tinsel on the near side of the shank in the same manner as the ribbing, leaving the thread forward 1/4 the shank behind eye. Pull tinsel to be wound straight up, creating a fold of 45 degrees at the tie in point. Wind the tinsel forward in smooth, even wraps to thread. Tie off and clip excess.
5.) Where thread is now hanging, tie in the body hackle by its tip. The length of its fibers should be slightly longer than the hook gap.
6.) Dub the remainder of the body with red seal fur or a suitable substitute (I like to use a blend of rabbit and american possum dyed to scarlet).
7.) Wind ribbing forward tightly in an open spiral. When the ribbing reaches the body hackle, it should pass behind it on top of the shank, but touching it. Countiue the ribbing through the dubbing and tie off just in front. Clip excess.
8.) Wind hackle tightly against the front side of the ribbing over the dubbed portion of the body. Tie off, clip excess.
9.) Tie in a black hen hackle with fibers two times the hook gap in length. Take one full turn and tie off. Clip excess.
10.) Prepare the wing by clipping a pair of segments from matching dark gray mallard quill, equal to about 3/4 the hook gap in width each. To the top of each of these, marry a strip of about four fibers of scarlet mallard quill. I find that a bit of Workable Fixatif helps hold these together when tying in.
11.) Place wing segments back to back and tie in directly on top of the hook shank. Clip any excess.
12.) Build up a rounded head, whip finish and cement heavily for a glossy appearance.