This is the basic pattern - and essentially a Red Tag with a red front hackle. You can vary the color of the tag and hackle as you please to create a variation of wet flies. Keep the herl body and the rib, and go berserk with whatever color you fancy!
Easy
- Start the thread in the front of the fly
- Tie in the yarn for the tail and cover with open turns of thread to the hook bend
- Return thread to the front of the fly
- Trim the tail to be fairly short, just extending over the hook bend
- Tie in three peacock herl and cover to the hook bend with open turns of thread
- Tie in the flat gold tinsel in the rear and take thread forward to just behind the hook eye
- Wrap the peacock herl in close turns to the hook eye, leaving room for the front hackle
- Tie down and trim off surplus herl
- Follow with the tinsel in 5-6 open turns, opposite direction of the herl
- Tie down the tinsel and cut surplus
- Tie in the hackle, tip first, shiny/curved side forward
- Wrap in 4-6 turns depending on density
- Tie down and trim
- Form a small head, whip finish and varnish
| Hook | Ahrex NS115 Deep Streamer #10 or #12 |
| Thread | Red 6/0 (or color to fit selected fly color) |
| Tag | Red yarn (or color to fit selected fly color) |
| Rib | Narrow, flat gold mylar tinsel |
| Body | 3 peacock herl |
| Front hackle | Red hen hackle (or color to fit selected fly color) |
