A dressier version of Scott Howell’s Prom Dress pattern. I like my steelhead flies a little more glamourous.
Thread- 6/0 white
Tube- as heavy as you want. I frequently use a 1 1/2″ copper tube with a 1/2 inch sleeve of larger diameter copper tubing glued over the first, with the back end of the sleeve at the midpoint of the 3/32″ diameter copper tube.
Body- flat braid to complement hackle.
Shoulder- Arctic fox spun in a dubbing loop, bushed out, and wrapped to provide a shoulder over which the flash and feathers will flair.
Flash- Flashabou. I’ve applied it in a dubbing loop, but prefer to apply it by taking a couple wraps around the mid-point of a bunch, then folding the front half back. This is repeated four times around the tube, making sure to spread each bunch to cover about 1/4 of the circumference of the tube.
Hackle- Ostrich wrapped in a dubbing loop. I usually mix two complementary colors to add a little extra life. One turn around the tube.
Second hackle- Silver Pheasant tail fibers, spun in a dubbing loop. One turn around the tube.
Third hackle- schlappen
Head- Turbo cone
It’s also a killer pattern for stained water tied in blue/black.