Mickey Finn

Mickey Finn recipe

About this fly

Hook: Mustad 9575, size 10Thread: Red for barb to point of hook and Black for the rest and the headBody: Silver Mylar tubing secured in back with red tying threadWing: Sparse bunch of yellow bucktail over an equal bunch of red bucktail over a larger bunch of yellow bucktailHead: Black thread NOTE: An old fly that is a good attractor pattern for trout works just as well for bream STEPS TO TIE: Red thread from above barb to above point of the hook and whip finish and cut red line. Switch to black thread and go from one eye distance from eye towards hook end and stop at the red thread. Whip finish, but leave black line on. Use 5 inches of oval tinsel with two to three wraps of black thread with it hanging out at the hook end and have it on side of hook away from you. Take 8 inches of gold and silver flat tinsel and place over round tinsel with silver down and gold up Wrap with black line towards eye and stop one eye short. Wrap flat tinsel clockwise with silver out and gold inward and lay with wraps overlapped with tension so you don’t lose the wraps. Wrap with black thread to secure. Wrap the oval tinsel counterclockwise not touching wraps with even spacing over top of flat tinsel to provide a ribbing effect. Count the number of wraps. Secure with black thread 3 eyes from eye at same spot. FIRST STACK: Grab about 9 yellow deer tail and fasten with black thread. Ensure tips are aligned using stacker. Fasten with black thread. Each stack should hang to just past the curve of the

What the Mickey Finn imitates

• Streamer / baitfish

Where the Mickey Finn came from

• Named by Gregory Clark, 1932, Toronto. Toronto Star writer renamed Knight's 'Assassin'; Wikipedia says 1932, AMFF says 1936 article.Source: Wikipedia: Mickey Finn (fly); also AMFF: A Personal and Natural History of the Mickey Finn <https://amff.org/personal-natural-history-mickey-finn/>
• Popularized by John Alden Knight, 1937. Knight's 1937 Hunting and Fishing article; Weber Lifelike Fly Co sold huge numbers at NY show. Knight first called it Assassin.Source: Wikipedia: Mickey Finn (fly)
• Popularized by Ray Bergman, Joe Brooks, John Alden Knight, 1950. 1950s writers cemented it as an essential pattern.Source: AMFF: A Personal and Natural History of the Mickey Finn
• Originated by unknown, Eastern Canada. As the Red and Yellow Bucktail, late 19th c.; AMFF says originator unknown, likely after 1901.Source: Wikipedia: Mickey Finn (fly)
• Derived from Red and Yellow Bucktail, Eastern Canada. Original name per Wikipedia (Red and Yellow Bucktail) and AMFF (Yellow and Red Bucktail); later called the Assassin by Knight before Clark renamed it. Junior Vanderhoff gave it to Knight in 1932.Source: Wikipedia: Mickey Finn (fly)
• Originated by Commercial tier working for William Mills & Son (per Nick Karas). AMFF cites Karas suggesting a Mills commercial tier likely developed it; AMFF itself says originator unknown and places it after 1901 (Welch's first streamers).Source: AMFF: A Personal and Natural History of the Mickey Finn
• Originated by Charles Langevin, Quebec (Jacques-Cartier River). Canada Post credits Langevin with creating it in the 19th century. Trident Fly Fishing says early 1900s instead. No source found for the 1895 date.Source: Canada Post 2005 Fishing Flies stamp, as reported by MidCurrent
• Derived from Langevin (earlier name). Said to have first gone by the name Langevin. Dark Skies notes an 1864 Norris all-yellow featherwing called Langevin; unclear if same fly.Source: MidCurrent on Canada Post 2005 stamp; Dark Skies Fly Fishing
• Derived from The Assassin (earlier name). John Alden Knight called it the Assassin (letter to Joseph Bates) before Gregory Clark's Mickey Finn joke stuck.Source: Dark Skies Fly Fishing; MidCurrent

Where sources tell it differently, each account is listed with its own source.

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