Smoky Chironomid Emerger

A friend of mine, who works as a keeper in a ZOO (a very useful acquaintance for a fly tier!) has provided me with a couple of large feathers from one of the many species of Crane that come somewhere from East Asia. These feathers have a wonderful smoky color and nice structure, sort of like that of a Heron but finer.

An application that immediately occurred to me was to use the herl for a chironomid body. Here is a picture of the finished fly when dry:

The tie:
#16 TMC2487 BL hook
8/0 UNI thread Tan
3 herls of an East Asian Crane feather for abdomen
#16 UNI tinsel Pearl for ribbing
3 tips of a CDC feather for wing
a pinch of scruffy Hare for thorax

Once the wing is treated with CDC oil it will hang in the film for a long time, with the body sunk below the surface - and overall looking vulnerable and nutritious at the same time.

And the combination of smoky gray feather and pearl tinsel really does come alive when wet: