Instructions:

1   Tie a front and rear thread base each being of two courses of thread, one on top of the other and about 10mm long. The front base is tied just behind the eye and the rear base between the hook point and the barb. Apply a light coat of Softex to secure.

2   Cut a piece of body tubing about one and a half times the length of the fly body. Carefully remove the two side strings. Slide the tube over the hook eye and secure with several thread wraps to within 2mm of the hook eye. Move the thread back to rear. Seal thread with Softex.

3   Grasp the end of the tubing and push it backwards so the it turns completely over itself.

4   Push the tube back towards the hook eye allowing it to expand. Secure the end with thread over the rear thread base and seal with Softex.

5   Manipulate the tubing between the two tie-in points using the thumb and forefinger. Pinch the tubing from rear forward to expand and taper the body and form the concave face.

6   Tie in tail materials in this order – Pearl mylar tube, krystalflash, tinsel. Using a bobkin apply a coat of Softex over the body and face.

7   Add colour to the back with waterproof markers. Another alternative is to bed an olive hackle into the wet coat on top of the body using a bobkin to stroke the vanes down either side of the body. Apply a second coat of Softex and secure a second hackle over the first. Secure the hackles to the tail wraps using the thread, whip finish and trim excess thread

8   After drying for about 10 minutes, trim the butt ends of the hackles level with the face of the fly. Colour the face of fly with waterproof marker and affix eyes. Coat the entire body by immersing up to the rear thread into Softex and hand rotate to prevent sagging. Use a toothpick to remove excess Softex from the face and clean the hook eye.

Note:
It is important that the body is completely sealed to prevent water entering the body cavity. To check, hold the fly up to your ear and squeeze it – if air escaping can be heard repeat the dipping process