As you may have gathered, the ice season ended abruptly in New Jersey with a long mid-winter thaw. Some lakes and ponds still have ice cover though not providing anywhere near what is considered a safe thickness. As a result, part of the MKFF crew headed up to Brant Lake, NY this weekend in search of thicker ice and boy did they locate it!
Dave and I had to hang back here in Frelinghuysen Township; part of our appointed/ elected official duties included posting the boundaries of the new Frelinghuysen Forest Preserve. Fortunately, there was plenty of time to whip up a traditional Brook Trout Streamer whilst listening to Dave strum some new MKFF theme songs on his guitar.
The Pattern
John Alden Knight first designed this fly in the 1930s, named for the infamous drugged drink of the time; it remains a popular and effective bucktail streamer. The Mickey Finn imitates baitfish commonly found in Trout producing streams, the red stripe of bucktail appears like a baitfish’s lateral line to a predator. Similar to the drugged drink, it certainly knocks your prey out; I once had a 20 fish day on stocked Brook Trout with this pattern. The fly can be effective for Salmon, Trout, Steelhead, Bass and even an occasional Pike.
Materials
- Mustad 9672; 2-12
- UNI-Thread Black 6/0
- UNI-Thread Red 6/0
- Small Silver Ultra Wire
- Large Mylar Tinsel Gold/Silver
- Yellow Bucktail
- Orange/ Red Bucktail
- 1/8” Flat Eyes
Steps
- Start the Red thread and build a base near the tail, directly above the barb.
Step 1 – Start the red thread, build a base for the tail. - Tie your black thread on, one eye‘s length behind the hook eye, lay thread along the shank of hook.
Step 2 – Start the black thread and create tie in base. - Tie in both the Tinsel and the Ultra Wire at the head; use black thread to layer the length of the shank. Leave red butt end uncovered by black thread.
Step 3 – Tie in Ultra Wire and Tinsel, wrap thread down the shank, locking in Ultra Wire and Tinsel. - Wind the Silver side of the Tinsel flat and tight with a narrow part of each strip overlapping back to the tie in point. Tie off and cut excess.
- Wind the ultra wire evenly up the shank in similar fashion, it will provide additional strength to the Tinsel wraps.
Step 4/5 – Warp Tinsel and Ultra Wire up hook shank, tie off and remove excess. - Select a pinch of yellow bucktail, tie in at the base you have created, near the tie in point. Remember to not apply too much pressure to make the butt end of the bucktail flare out. Instead, use multiple loose wraps and create a mound.
Step 6 – Tie in yellow bucktail. - Repeat the same steps completed for the yellow bucktail, this time with the orange. Trim the excess ends of the bucktail off in an upward angle. Add an additional amount of yellow on top of the red. This will create the lateral line effect.
Step 7 – Add in orange buck tail, use staircase method to layer on thread. - Build up a mound of black thread over the butt ends of the bucktail. Apply some head cement and then add your eyes.
Finished Mickey Finn, a little light on the yellow thread up top. I will update this picture later in the week once I perfect the pattern.
How to Use
The Mickey Finn, can be retrieved upstream or down, just don’t use it at a bar, it won’t work on chicks! You can also retrieve across the current with a jerking twitch to imitate baitfish.
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