Mickey Finn
by Fred "Wess" Wesselink

The modern tying of this very popular fly uses a reflective silver body to imitate the silvery fish scales of the under body of a bait fish. It originated around the 1930's and became a very popular streamer in Northern California where it was mainly used for steelhead fishing. In the 1932 W.M. Mills & Sons catalog listed the Mickey Finn simply as a red and yellow bucktail. A fly fisherman called Gregory Clark called the fly the Assassin because of its brook trout killing power. A couple of days later he renamed it 'The Mickey Finn' streamer.

Its ability to catch fish has lead to it being used for salmon, sea trout and big trout fishing. Bait fish have to move quickly in order to survive and your fly must do the same. Ensure you maintain your retrieve until you feel your line stop. In rivers use an across and slightly downstream presentation. In lakes use a cast, count-down, and retrieve presentation wherever baitfish are concentrated.

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