This is a Ward Bean pattern that I use extensively when fishing ponds and lakes. It’s a quick tie:
Hook: Streamer, straight-eye
Thread: White for the body, switch to red for the head
Underbody: lead-free wire
Tail: White marabou and silver Krinkle Mirror Flash
Body: White estaz grande
Head: Red soft hackle
After wrapping the body with the estaz, take the fly out of the vice, brush the estaz, and trim it to shape. Then finish the fly. This has been my best color combination but have also caught fish on a root-beer pattern and an olive pattern. The red hackle is consistent from color to color.
Mike, I tie them in size 6, 4xl hook. But really most 3X or longer hooks will work. To me the trigger is the estaz body which sparkles and shimmers as you strip it back.
Beautiful fly. I used something similar for pink salmon in Alaska and they loved it (although, like bluegills, they seemed to love anything you threw in front of their face ).
).