Marabou

Tying Instructions: Sloan's Mighty May PMD



	1. Slide the appropriate sized bead over the hook. I'm using a 5/64 bead on a size 16 hook. Attach the hook to the vise. Attach the thread just behind the bead and wrap a thread foundation covering about 2/3 of the hook shank.
	2. Clip 4 pheasant tail fibers, keeping their tips even. Attach the fibers at the end of the thread foundation with a couple of wraps just to secure and adjust the tail length to be about the same as the hook gap, no longer. Secure the tag ends of the fibers up along the top of the hook shank to where the thread will meet the hook point when it hangs from the shank. This is be where the abdomen and thorax meet.
	3. Secure a strand of Krystalflash and a strand of Spanflex to the shank behind the bead.
	4. Secure both of the strands to the top of the hook shank down to the tail tie-in position. Wrap the thread back up to the end of the abdomen where the thread meets to hook point when it hangs from the shank.
	5. Wrap the Krystalflash with 4 spirols up to the tie-in position at the hook point. Trim the tag end and secure with some more wraps.
	6. Wrap the Spanflex forward by stretching the material and keeping each wrap just in front of the previous. No overlap! Notice how the Krystalflash will appear as a subtle flash under the spanflex. Trim the tag end and secure with thread wraps.
	7.Wrap a thorax that is about the same diameter as the bead. Dave likes to use Arizona Synthetic Peacock due to the spikiness and the flash it gives. The fibers are fairly short so use it sparingly as you dub the thread. This will help lock in the fibers for a tighter dubbing strand. Wrap the material right up to the bead.
	8. Clip a 1/4 inch wide segment of Mottled Turkey quill. Prepare the quill by applying a small amount of flexament to the backside. This will help keep the segment from splitting when it's tied in. Use an Exacto Blade or some similar blade to trim a notch into the quill material. Tie in the quill just behind the bead so that the end of the wingcase goes just beyond the thorax. To keep the material from bunching together, apply a loose loop wrap, then tighten. Apply a couple additional wraps to secure
	9. Using a Soft Hen Hackle saddle, clip off about 8 fibers from a feather quill, keeping the tips even. Attach the clump to the side of the throax just behind the bead. You can adjust the length of the fibers by pulling the tag ends. The fibers should just extend to the end of the thorax. Secure with additional wraps.
	10. Attach another clump of 8 fibers to the other side of the thorax, adjust the length, and trim the tag ends.
	11. Wrap a sparse collar just behind the bead with the Arizona dubbing. Whip Finish. Finally, apply a drop of epoxy to the wingcase and let dry.