I've not covered a large number of standard wet flies in this series, but they are an important part of any colletion. First, they're deadly on sunfish and other nibblers, second, they keep the kids entertained without broaching your treasured serious flies, and third, they're pretty to the eye. And the right ones are good on larger fish. This is one of my personal favorites.
Hook: Mustad 9671 (2xl) size 4-12
Body: red floss
Ribbing: gold mylar tensile
Tail: dyed red hackle fibers
Throat: ginger hackle fibers
Wing: dyed yellow kiptail
Topping: two green peacock herl
Eye: matching mallard blue tip sections
Standard wet fly tying techniques. Wrap a solid, smooth foundation full length of the shaft, tie in tail, then floss, then tensile. Wrap thread forward, then smoothly wrap the floss and tensile on a glue wet foundation and clip. Tie in the throat, wing, topping, and eyes, being careful to maintain the balance of the fly. Finish with a wrap knot and glue. Straightforward classic technique down the line.
The bright colors of the fly is a good taunt to fish, especially on the retrieve. The red is a mark of an injured fish, one likely to tire easily in pursuit, while the orange mimics oxygen poor gills, another weakness. All in all, it seems to be a popular combinations for many species of fish, cold and warm water. Like most wet flies, they work best on the move, a representation of darting color. It's best used in moving water or with a constant retrieve, not giving the fish a chance to study it.