1. Attach the thread to hook and wrap it back to the bend tying in four pheasant tail fibers to the shank for the tail.

2. Tie in the red wire and two to four peacock herls for the body. Advance the thread to just beyond mid-shank

3. Select a hen neck feather with webby barbs that are slightly longer than the hook shank. Prepare the feather by cutting or stripping the fibers from the side of the feather that is to be wrapped against the hook and tie it in to the top of the shank by the tip. Advance the thread to behind the hook eye.

4. Carefully form a single rope from the peacock herl by twisting it between your thumb and index finger. Wrap the peacock herl up to the hook eye avoiding the feather. Then counter-wrap the wire and tie off. Trim the ends of the peacock herl and the wire.

5. Wind the hen feather one full turn around the hook shank at the tie in location. Then palmer wrap the feather up the shank to behind the hook eye. As you make each wrap with the feather, stroke the fibers back towards the rear of the fly. It will only take one turn of palmering between the feather tie-in wrapin the middle of the shank, and the collar wrap at the hook eye. Leave space between the palmer wraps. You want the palmering to be obvious.

6. Make two or three turns of hackle behind the hook eye and tie off the feather. Trim the remaining feather stem. Form a neat thread head and whip finish..

Credits: From Tying and Fishing Soft-Hackled Nymphs By Allen McGee. Published by Frank Amato Publications.

For more great flies, check out: Beginning Fly Tying, Intermediate Fly Tying and Advanced Fly Tying.