Spirit Fly

Topping Winged Fly, William Blacker, 1840-50. Pattern as per William Blacker.

Tag: Gold tinsel and puce silk
Tail: Two small golden pheasant toppings Butt: Black ostrich herl
Body: Made from 5 joints, each joint with a butt of two turns of gold tinsel followed by scarlet coloured cock's hackle and a black ostrich herl (the body must be tied with very fine silk so as not to be lumpy, but to gradually taper from the tail to the head; the hackle to be stripped at one side to roll even)
Throat: A purple cock's hackle, or a very dark blue
Wings: Six golden pheasant toppings, with a broad strip of wood duck on each side; a red Himalaya pheasant crest feather at top
Sides: Cock-of-the-rock
Cheeks: A blue kingfisher feather on each side
Horns: Macaw (blue-yellow)
Head: Black