Orange Spellbinder (Steelhead Soft Hackle)

[letumgo]

Orange Spellbinder
Hook - Gamakatsu Salmon Tappered Loop Up Eye (Model T10-6H/Size 8)
Thread - 6/0 UNI-Thread (Black)
Tag/Underbody - UTC Mirage Tinsel (Large/Opal)
Abdomen - Pearsall's Marabou Silk (Hot Orange/No. 19)
Tail/Thorax - Bronze Peacock Herl (Natural) - Thanks Jeff
Hackle - Hen Saddle Hackle (Natural Honey Dun)
Head - Tying thread coated with one coat of Sally Hanson's Dries Instantly clear nail polish.

Note to self - Needs a couple more coats of clear nail polish, to finish the head properly.

[CreationBear]

That one would get the attention of Mr. S. Trutta as well--that contrasting hackle is especially well-played. A question: any tricks for using Pearsall's Marabou for tags/abdomens? I've played around with the flat Allen Jackson floss, but the rounder profile of the Pearsall's always seems to leave me with "lumps and bumps" as Davey might say.

[DUBBN]

I can see the relation to the "POP" series. What a fantastic job!

[Izaak]

Quite an eye catcher! Well done.

[letumgo]

CB - I generally split the Marabou silk down into its smallest strands, only using a few of the smallest strands for tags/abdomens etc. In this case, I tied in three of the fine silk strands at the front of the abdomen, wrapped them in parallel touching turns, back over the mylar tinsel (leaving the small mylar tag showing at the back). I then did a quick burnish job on the first layer of silk, before wrapping the silk strands forward over itself (two layers of silk over two layers of mylar). Looking at the photo, I see I did not burnish the outer layer. The silk could still could be smoother, but it's good enough for fishing flies. For increased durability, I'd suggest ribbing the abdomen with fine copper wire, or coated it with some UV cure resin, or perhaps some superglue.

Wayne - This is sort of a cross between a POP fly and the "Rat" series steelhead flies.

[CreationBear]

Excellent, I was wondering if you had wrapped over the entire tag--that #19 must really "pop" in the water. (Speaking of mylar, I saw a fly tied by Thomas Mitchell that had an abdomen of pearlescent opal wrapped over a Zap-a-gap coated underbody of black thread which resulted in a really neat green body--an effect that really seems to fit your UV resin technique, if it's not already in your bag of tricks.)

[letumgo]

Like this?

http://www.flymphforum.com/viewtopic.ph ... ilit=gates

[CreationBear]

if it's not already in your bag of tricks.)

Ha, I've reached the age where I wake up in a new world every day, but I thought there was something familiar about that particular rabbit. Might make for an interesting contrast with that ginger hackle/peacock combo at the very least.

[letumgo]

[Mataura mayfly]

Nice way to use some of that herl Ray, I am liking what you are doing!