Bastard Midge
Tying instructions:
- Start the thread behind the eye, and tie in the tails. Wrap back to the bend over the tails, and trim the butts. The tail measurement must be as exact as possible, and extend one body length beyond the bend.
- Wrap back to a point at the rear of a narrow thorax area in open wraps, and let the thread hang there. Thorax area will be just a bit more than a hook eye in width.
- Select and stack the deer hair bunch. Measure the deer hair from the tip of the tails to the front of the hook eye, and trim the butts.
- Without losing the even tips, move the butts to the point above the hanging thread, and tie the butts in. Wrap back and forth to cover the deer hair butts, ending again at the back of the thorax.
- Pull the tips of the deer hair forward and tie them down directly on top of the hook shank, with several wraps of thread.
- Tie in an undersized hackle feather. E.g., for a size 16, use a size 20 hackle.
- Wrap 4-6 turns of hackle and tie down.
- Whip finish under the deer hair tips to stand them up at an angle still leaning forward.