Mickey Finn

Mickey Finn
Mickey Finn
Type of fly	Classic bucktail streamer
Originator of pattern if known	Traditional pattern, renamed the "Mickey Finn" after the death of Rudolph Valentino in the 1930s. His death was suspected to be a result of poisoning. (For you kids out there, "slipping someone a Mickey" was a slang term for pouring a drug into someone's drink without their knowledge.)
Tied and Submitted by	peregrines
Level of tying experience needed to tie this pattern	Beginner, a fairly simple pattern using basic tying skills
Materials listed in order of tie in:
Hook	Streamer hook anywhere from 3 to 8xlong sizes 2-10. Mustad 79580 (4xlong) size 8 here. (longer 6-8xlong shank hooks are traditionally used for land locked salmon)
Thread	Black
Tail	Optional short tuft of red wool, usually omitted. Not used here.
Rib	Oval Tinsel
Body	Silver tinsel. Silver
Wing	Sparse bunches of yellow and red bucktail. Divide bucktail into 4 equal bunches, 1 red and 3 yellow. Bottom layer, 1 bunch of yellow bucktail. Middle layer 1 bunch of red bucktail. Top layer 2 remaining bunches of yellow combined.
Head	Black thread.
Special tying notes	Other versions tied with kip tail (calf tail) or marabou in place of bucktail.
Target species	Trout (particulary brook trout), landlocked salmon, steelhead, salmon, and warm water fish including crappie, pickerel, smallmouth and largemouth bass
Fishing notes