Mickey Finn by Tim Flagler
Beginning Fly Tying By Chet Allison
Video Showing Tim Tying This Fly
Materials for Mickey Finn:
• Hook: Mustad 79840 or 9672 Sizes 4 – 14
• Thread: Black, 8/0 or 70-denier
• Rib: Silver oval tinsel, medium.
• Body: Gold/Silver Mylar tinsel, medium.
• Adhesive #1: Superglue or Z-Ment.
• Lower wing: Yellow bucktail cleaned and stacked.
• Mid wing: Red bucktail cleaned and stacked.
• Upper wing: Yellow bucktail cleaned and stacked.
• Head: Tying thread.
Step 1: Pinch the barb down, tie in thread about an eye’s length back from the eye.
Step 2: Tie in a length of oval silver tinsel ribbing on top of hook shank, wrapping back to the bend to secure tinsel in place. Wind thread forward again to the tie-in point behind hook eye. As you wrap back allow the tinsel to roll to the underside. Spin your thread counter clock wise to let it flatten so you can make a smooth thread base. Roll the tinsel to the underside of the hook using your hands. Now wrap your thread forward in smooth touching wraps.
Step 3: Tie in the flat tinsel at the thread tie in point. Wrap the tinsel to the back stopping over the barb in touching wraps but not over lapping. Wrap the tinsel forward making touching but not over lapping wraps. The body should be smooth, tie off. You can put a little glue on this tie off point.
Step 4: Counter wrap the oval tinsel forward in a nicely spaced apart spiral wrap, tie off at the tie in point. A little glue now will be good, also. Wrap the thread back to about 2 eye lengths from the eye.
Step 5: Cut a small bundle of yellow Bucktail. Measure bundle to approximately length of hook shank.
Step 6: Comb out under fur and pull out any long hair fibers, now use the hair stacker to get them even. Tie the hair on top of the shank making secure wraps. Snip off the butt ends over the eye.
Step 7: Do the same thing with a small bunch of red bucktail. Place it on top of the yellow and tie it in securely. The red should be even in length to the first yellow bunch.
Step 8: Take the smaller yellow bunch and do as you did with the other bunches. Keep all 3 bunches as even as possible. Make a nice head and whip finish and apply head cement. Use the photo to help guide you and watch the video that is provided. If any of the bucktail bunches get too big they will roll on you, so keep them on the small side.
The Finished Mickey Finn by Tim Flagler
SFF has permission to use these videos from Tim Flagler. Please click on the Youtube under his name and see more videos.