"Redheaded Blondie"

REDHEADED BLONDIE
(futsu kebari)
Variation by Jonathan Antunez

Hook:  Size 12-14 "pupa style" short curved hook
Thread: Danville 6/0 Red
Body: Peacock herl dubbed in on a loop
Hackle: dyed straw or sandy brown stiff hackle

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Let's tie this bug!
This fly is tied from tail working towards the head or eye. 
Tie in the red thread and form a body base working from the bend towards the eye of the hook but leaving room for the hackle that will be tied in shortly. Return the wrap back down to the butt of the fly.  The red butt is tied off with a simple half hitch then glued or left alone. (Your choice.) Now form a 2-2.5 inch dubbing loop and add 2-3 peacock herls. Use a dubbing loop spinner to create a thread and herl noodle, or you can bind the loop down in a plunger style hackle pliers and twist until the herl is tight. The dubbing loop makes the peacock herl "bombproof." Wrap the dubbing loop towards the head end, working your way up the shank. Note again that you must leave room for the hackle. Tie in Hackle in the normal dry fly fashion. (2 or 3 turns depending on how full or sparse you want it.) Finish the fly by building up a bead size head and add head cement to finish.

Jonathan Antunez

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Futsu Kebari is a stiff hackle tenkara fly associated with Japanese Tenkara Fishing. As with most Japanese flies, it is not meant to mimic a specific insect but is instead a fly that suggest it is an aquatic food source.
This is a very dynamic fly in that it can be fished as either a dry fly on the surface (add floatant if you wish), or it can be fished as a stiff hackle wet fly subsurface. Traditional Japanese Futsu Kebari are usually kept simple in design. Jonathan has created a wonderful variation of a futsu kebari here that features a peacock herl body that is twisted in like dubbing to show off a red ribbing.