Well I tied this for Dallas' fly swap and had in mind what I wanted to tie and melded a few patterns in to this, thus the bastardized version I came up with. This is the Bastard Strymph.
I started with a #8 scud/nymph hook. I like the small hook because it allows for more action that a straight shanked hook. There are a few materials involved and since it is a bastard version, feel free to improvise and substitute.
Start by wrapping your thread to just above the point of the hook.
Take a zonker strip (rabbit fur strip) and pull the hairs apart to expose the middle of the strip...tie in the strip so that the front for the strip will reach almost to the eye of the hook. You should have a hook length handing off the back. I generally wrap 2-3 times over the strip and then pull back the strip towards the bend of the hook and wrap a few wraps underneath the strip and them 2 more wraps back over the strip. This seems to help lock the strip into place.
Once you've got that tied down, take a strip of pheasant tail that has been treated with flexcoat. Cut the strip from the tail feather with a width of 1/8-1/4 inch in width. Clip off any excess feather that is in front of your wrap.
Now take the zonker strip and pheasant tail and pull them back out of the way so you can tie in the next 2 pieces of material. This is where you can improvise. I have a nice patch of dry fly hackle that I use and also have some vinyl ribbing to make the body out of.
Tie in the ribbing first with a few wraps (you can also use dubbing here or even chaneal). Once this is tied in, then tie in the hackle.
wrap your thread to eye of the hook. Now bring your ribbing up to the eye of the hook. The last wrap of the ribbing as you near they eye of the hook is where you'll place a set of eyes.
I like the silver eyes to give it a little flash. It also looks like an air bubble underwater. You can use black eyes as well.
Next take your hackle feather and wrap it over the ribbing. The ribbing works well because it creates a nice groove for the hackle to set in as you wrap it. Tie off the hackle right behind the eyes.
Once this is all tied in, take the zonker strip and stretch it over the wrapped hackle so the tip of the hackle sits in between the eyes. Do a few wraps to lock the strip in place.
Next, take your scissors or botkin and divide the hair of the zonker strip so you have equal portions on each side of the hook.
Next take your wing casing/pheasant tail and pull it over the top of the zonker strip so that it holds down and divide the fur.
Tie this in between the eyes...use a lighter or match to burn any extra hackle that might hang over the hook eye...make a couple of half hitch knots and had a drop of head cement. You are done...now go throw this bastard at some steelies!
