In this week’s “How to Tie” feature, Tim Flagler with Tightlinevideo ties a classic streamer that will catch fish anywhere in the world, the Mickey Finn.
Learn How to Tie This Fly:
Difficulty: Easy
In the last several years, fly tying has seen incredible innovations. From new creative ways to work with material to new synthetics that create ultra realistic profiles, there seems to be something exciting hitting fly shops every week. Although that tyers have the ability to imitate insects and baitfish in exceptional ways, the classics should always have a place on both your vise and fly box. Classics come in all different shapes and sizes, but the Mickey Finn is a streamer that will catch trout and other baitfish hunting species all year long.
Whether you have been tying flies for years or just beginning, this is a pattern worth every second of patience. There aren’t any hidden tricks for this fly besides taking your time, as wrapping tinsel and using bucktail can be difficult at first. Depending on what your local trout are most attracted to, it’s highly recommended tie a few different size and color variations to cover your bases. The Mickey Finn’s simple design and profile create an undeniably effective pattern for trout and has led to countless anglers first trout tied on their own fly.
This streamer will catch fish on large rivers and small mountain streams alike. Regardless of season or weather, you’ll find a friend in this fly while fishing it and as a new tyer and angler, there could be no better place to start. Enjoy the process with this pattern as you’ll be able to make quick work out of a nighttime tying session and can go back to thinking about your next adventure. The Mickey Finn is a name that every angler in the fly fishing space should both know how to tie and fish and unfortunately this article won’t help you accomplish the latter, that’s on you!
Ingredients:
- Hook: 4X-strong streamer hook – Sizes 4 to 14
- Thread: Black, 8/0 or 70-Denier
- Rib: Silver oval tinsel – Medium
- Body: Gold/Silver Mylar tinsel – Medium
- Lower Wing: Yellow bucktail, cleaned and stacked
- Mid Wing: Red bucktail, cleaned and stacked
- Upper Wing: Yellow bucktail, cleaned and stacked
Now you know how to tie the Mickey Fun!
Video courtesy of Tightlinevideo.
