“Pheasant” Matuka

Classic Streamer

Tied By Christian Andrews

Hook: streamer

Thread: to match feather

Materials-

rib: gold wire

body: dubbing to match or complement feather

tail: two saddle feathers

front hackle: soft hackle to match feathers

Notes:

Originally tied with feathers of the matuku in New Zealand, this streamer is now tied in any variety of saddle or saddle type feathers.

From The Basic Manual of Fly-Tying by Fling & Puterbaugh.

Select two opposing saddle type feathers and measure twice the length of the hook shank
Strip the lower half of each feather from the midpoint to the butt
Lay down a thread base on the hook shank
Tie in a gold wire to be used for the rib
Dub a slightly tapered body leaving room for a front soft hackle
Tie in the two tail feathers dull sides together, by the butt ends, an eye length of so behind the eye, draping the feathers over the body so that the stripped part of the feathers lays over the length of the body
Split the fibers on the upper part of the feathers where the body ends at the hook bend; wrap the wire over the feathers through the split twice
Repeat: split the fibers on the upper part of the feathers every few fibers and spiral wrap the wire through the splits up to the tie in point; tie off the wire and helicopter off or snip extra
Tie in a front soft hackle and wrap leaving room to tie in a head; pull back on the hackle fibers and back-wrap the end of the hackle; snap off or clip the end of the hackle
Finish the head; whip finish; head cement.