Note: This fly was named for one of my favorite home waters; a beautiful stream near Walla Walla called Mill Creek. While this fly looks complex, it is really fairly simple to tie. They key to this fly is getting the extended body right. To build the extended body, slip a piece of foam that is 3 inches long and 1/8 inch wide onto a needle so that the foam is impaled in the middle, with one and one half inches of foam on either side of the needle. Now, put the needle into your vice, and attach the thread. Wind the thread back to the foam and begin forming the body. First form one ball will the thread, then advance the tying thread and form two more. Once you have finished, whip finish the thread and pull the body off the needle. Now, take one of the foam sections, and stick the hook through it, pulling the foam all the way up to the bend of the hook. Then, attach your thread to the hook, and wrap it back to the foam. Now, form 2 more balls of foam, and cut the excess foam from the hook. Next, and perhaps most the important step in this fly, is to put a drop of Zap-a-Gap onto the body, to hold it in place so it does not spin. After this is finished, dress the fly as you would any other hopper pattern. I use a bullet head and rubber legs for the fly, but feel free to use a clipped hair head, or anything else you want to try. Experimentation is a crucial step in developing good flies.
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