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.