Let's start with the tools on the bench. You've seen most of them in previous posts, but maybe not the hackle pliers for gripping the end of a feather or, in this case, a length of chenille. Then there's a bobbin threader just below the ruler and, upper right, a very fine-toothed comb usually used for removing say, the underfur against bear hide, but for this project used to tug at the twisted tinsel of the palmered polar chenille.
If you start below the head and wrap down to just behind the hook point then spiral up and then down again, you'll have a good thread base. I'm using UTC 210 denier but Danville's 210 and UNI-thread 3/0 would be fine too.
I plucked these feathers from a Metz #1 saddle - not cheap nor easy to find. You can certainly use "Strung Rooster Saddles Long" from Barlow's.
A 2 1/4" length gets tied in. This length was determined using TLAR design principles. (Huh? I'll do a separate post about TLAR in the future.)
The left side of the left hackle is set up correctly. You want hackle immediately below the visible tail feathers because they help to hold the position of the tail as you wrap up the hook shank.
My obsessive/compulsive inner voices said, "Psst . . . better put a coat of Hard As Nails over those thread wraps!" I know better than to argue with them. You do as you like.
I used a 4 1/2" length of copper/black New Age Chenille, large, for the body and a 4" length of Hareline Dubbin's UV Polar Chenille, Rusty Copper, which is palmered around it. ("Palmered?" The origin story of this term is fascinating but I won't go into it now because I want to avoid strange syntax, run-on sentences and off-topic yadayada at all costs!)
Tie in your body chenille to 2/3 up the shank then stop. From this point, tie in the polar chenille. From the hackle, wrap the body, jump over the polar and secure at the head. Now wrap the polar chenille in tight turns and do your best to control it so the tinsel flows toward the tail.
Hoo! It's looking bright and buggy now! There's one more wrap to be made then a couple of half hitches (with a whip finishing tool or hand-whip, your choice), then cement the threads to finish.
Looks big smallie sized to me.
Here I'm tank testing the hydrodynamics. Hmmph! More simply said, I dunked it in a plastic tub to see what waves and wiggles. It appears that on a drag-pause-twitch retrieve the tail feathers will stay spread and flutter and the tinsel will tremble.
Come and get it, smallies!
