Artistic Vision:
Water is the antithesis of its sister, the Fire fly: It embodies the simultaneous power and softness of cool water, and does so in the style of the Victorian classics. One of the few avant-garde licenses I took was in the wave-like hookpoint and barb, perhaps the most beautiful I've developed so far. The body of the fly is a combination of blue flosses in a turbulent, textured pattern accented with gold tinsel. The fly’s hackle underwing and married main wing are meant to look sleek, fast. Softening their effect is the feather that in my opinion makes the entire fly, the peacock breast that flows softly over the entire side of the fly. Lest the peacock make the fly too demure, however, the deep green eye of Impeyan pheasant flashes when viewed from different angles (an effect that cannot be appreciated from still photographs). Water droplets formed from dyed guinea fowl break over the head of the fly as it carves through an imagined current. The classic golden pheasant topping hints of sunlight reflecting softly off the water.
Limited Edition Size: 25
Release Date: 12/3/07
Overseas Shipping: No shipping outside the United States (Impeyan Pheasant is listed in CITES Appendix I).
Hook: Metal: Handmade, solid 18K gold. Hook Length: 5.5 cm (2.2 in). Gape: 1.7 cm (.67 in).
Thread: Black silk, 6/0.
Tag: Medium-blue silk floss tip, followed by light kingfisher-blue silk floss tag.
Tail: Two Golden Pheasant crests, tied on top of each side, veiled by two stacked Madagascar Kingfisher rump feathers, the bottom one face-down and the top one face-up.
Body: Floss: Light kingfisher-blue silk. Ribbing: Sky-blue floss, counterwound, followed by round 18K gold tinsel, wound in two close turns then seven wider turns, followed by twisted medium-blue silk floss and light kingfisher-blue silk floss wound immediately behind the tinsel.
Underwing: Saddle hackle, dyed light kingfisher-blue.
Wing: A single set of married wings, consisting of Wild Turkey (WT), Goose dyed black (bk GO), Goose dyed light kingfisher-blue (lt kb GO), and Goose dyed dark kingfisher-blue (dk kb GO) in the following sequence: 1 bk GO, 2 WT, 1 lt kb GO, 1 dk kb GO, 2 WT, 1 bk GO, 2 WT, 1 lt kb GO, 2 dk kb GO, 2 WT, 1 bk GO, 2 WT, 1 lt kb GO, 3 dk kb GO, 2 WT, 1 bk GO.
Cheeks: Peacock breast feather, followed by Impeyan Pheasant metallic-green neck feather, followed by Guinea Fowl shoulder dyed dark kingfisher-blue and tied in by the rachis with strips of fibers left on both top and bottom.
Topping: Two Golden Pheasant crests, one veiling each wing.
Head: 18K gold signature inlay.
Leader: White horse hair woven over stainless steel wire.
Dome Base: Mahogany (shown). Shawn is always seeking out new woods to work with so availability changes. Once your order is placed, Shawn will contact you to discuss base options.
Approximate time to complete this order is 1 -2 if in inventory. Otherwise, 2 months.