Shadow Boxing a Black Rat

I may have said it before, but I will say it again, I have a very crafty  wife who makes some great craft projects and sells them at craft shows from time to time. At the last craft show she encouraged me to put out some of the flies I have been tying to see if anybody was interested in buying them since it only took up a small section of her display. I have to say I was more than a little surprised at how many flies we actually sold. Especially when you consider this was a fall festival in the middle of Michigan's thumb. For those not familiar with Michigan's thumb region, this is mainly farm country and not known for fly fishing. With that said, I was more than a little encouraged and it got me to thinking. Would shadow boxed flies also sell?  So off to the Salvation Army to see if they had any shadow box frames at a good price to see if they sell. Here is the fly and shadow box I created tonight.

Completed Shadow Box

 

 

 

 

Black Rat



Black Rat

Hook - Tiemco 7999
Thread - Uni 8/0 Red
Tag - Flat Silver Tinsel
Tail - Golden Pheasant Crest
Rib - Flat Silver Tinsel
Body - Hare's Ear Plus Black
Collar - Grizzly Soft Hackle
Wing - Gray Squirrel Tail

 

Step One



Start Thread

 

Step Two



 

Tie In Tinsel Tag

 

Step Three

 

Wrap Tinsel Forward Three Turns

 

Step Four



 

Tie in Pheasant Crest Tail

 

Step Five

 

 

Tie In Tinsel Rib

 

Step Six

 

 

Wax Thread and Dub Body

 

Step Seven

 

Wrap Dubbing Forward

 

Step Eight

 

Wrap Tinsel Rib Forward

 

Step Nine

 

Tie in Grizzly Hackle

 

Step Ten

 

Make Three Wraps of Hackle

 

Step Eleven

Tie in Wing, Create Head and Whip Finish