Hook: No. 4/0-6, steelhead wet fly.
Tag: Silver flat tinsel.
Rib: Medium oval tinsel.
Body: Black (dubbed Angora fur; wool;
chenille; etc.)
Wing: Two or four purple hackles, tied matuka style.
Collar: Purple hackle.
Tying Instructions: Maxwell's Purple Matuka
1. Secure the tag as follows: Attach a length
of fine flat silver tinsel about 2/3 down the
shank. Wrap this tinsel backward, keeping each
wrap tight against the previous one but without
overlapping the wraps. At a point opposite the point
or barb of the hook, reverse direction and begin
wrapping the tinsel back up the shank, again making
sure each turn of tinsel lays tight against the
previous wrap with without overlapping. Tie off
the tinsel near the starting poing. Wind the
thread forward and secure a length of fine or
medium silver oval along the hook shank.
2. Now form a body of black dubbed fur, wool or
similar (we prefer flack Angora goat dubbing),
leaving at the rear a short tag of the flat
silver tinsel.
3. At the front of the body, secure back-to-back
purple hackle feathers, shiny sides facing outward.
Tie these in securely so they cannot pull out as
you rib the fly.
4. Stroke the hackle fibers upward with
one hand while holding the stems down
against the fly with the other. Once
the hackle fibers are standing up at
right angles to the stem, you can
begin binding the feathers down by
spiraling the silver oval over the
body of the fly.
5. Having completed this rib in about
six turns, add a collar of purple hackle
at the front. Tie off and cement the head. ~ John Shewey and Forrest Maxwell
Credits: From Fly Fishing for Summer Steelhead
published by Frank Amato Publications.
