SBS updated
Molten Twist 1250
Hook: Daiichi #14 1250
Thread: Griffiths Sheer 14/0 brown
Hot Spot: bright orange fly line backing, melted tip
Body: 3 natural Turkey Tail fibers twisted with small Amber Ultrawire
Thorax: brown mole
Hackle: mottled brown hen saddle
1. Cut the backing into 1" sections. Using a lighter, approach the flame with the material until it just begins to mushroom and melt into itself. Too close and it will go up in flames quickly. If you do both ends, you can use the same section twice as the portion used is actually only about 1/4".
2. Hackle stem stripped further on the wrapping side, tied in by the stem, the proper method.
Just behind the thorax, tie in the backing line and secure with several wraps. Trim at an angle toward the thorax so the underbody is smooth. Align the hot spot tip just beyond where you would normally end the body so the body proportions (personal preference) remain.
3. Tie in the wire at mid shank along the backing material, then add the 3-4 tail herls by the tips. Bind all three materials neatly to the bend, stopping the thread wraps at a point where a hint of the braid is showning, and will not be completely covered by the first wrap of the herl twist as it is brought in touching turns back up the shank.
4. A note on herl twist bodies. Bind the materials firmly toward the bend, tighter as you approach the bend to assist in the taper. However, on the last 2-3 wraps before the final thread wraps to the bend, ease up on the tension, especially the last wrap to avoid breaking one or more of the herls as you bring them back up the body.
5. To get a bit more of the wire to show and in a more irregular manner, I twist the herls and wire around each other, pulling each in a "V" shape, not just twisting the materials together, and not wrapping one around the other, but as equally as possible. I use a larger hackle plier to bring the twist up the body, but it can be done by hand with such long herl fibers. Allow room for the thorax and hackle and head.
6. Using Bill Shucks special blend of wax, apply to about 1 1/2" of thread, less for coarser dubbing materials. While spinning the tying thread between your fingers hold a small amount of dubbing just close enough to the thread that some is caught up lightly onto the tying thread.
7. Wrap the thorax, hopefully a bit more lively than this example.
8. Take three wraps with the hackle toward the thorax and bind with 2-3 thread wraps coming up through the hackle without binding any of the hackles.
9. Using 14/0 tying thread allows for a 5-6 turn whip finish, sized to personal preference.
10. The hot spot actually has a very bright, unnatural effect. Should get some attention. Yet to be determined.
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