The Edson Light Tiger was created by William Edson of Portland, ME in 1929. Joseph Bates (Streamer Fly Tying & Fishing) suggests that the Edson Light Tiger and Edson Dark Tiger are "among the most successful for all species of game fish."

Tying Instructions

1. Start the thread behind the eye of the hook and lay down an even base of thread wraps to the hook bend.
2. Select a section of barred wood duck feather that is about 3/16" wide, showing at least two bars. Even the tip of the feather and fold it. Tie it to the top of the hook, allowing two bars to show. Tie the base of the section to the top of the hook by wrapping the thread back to about 3/16" from the eye.
3. Select four strands of peacock herl and tie to the top of the hook. Hold in on top of the hook and wrap the tread back to the hook bend over the herl. Twist the herl and thread together and wrap the herl/thread around the hook to about 3/16" from the eye.
4. As the start of the wing, select a bunch of yellow bucktail, even it, and tie it to the hook, using the loop technique. The tips of the bucktail should extend to the end of the tail.
5. Apply a coat of penetrating, clear head cement before finishing the head, and allow it to dry.
6. Tie red hackle tips to the top of the wing so that they extend approximately 1/3 of the length of the bucktail.
7. Complete the head with thread wraps, and cement it again with penetrating, clear head cement. Allow it to dry, and finish the head with black Cellire for a glossy look.

Mickey Finn:

The detail of the Mickey Finn's origin is a bit obscure. The creator is unknown, but was at one time produced by William Mills & Sons but not named. Bates (in Streamer Fly Tying & Fishing) described the history of its naming. Apparently, John Alden Knight received the fly from Junior Vanderhoff at a fishing club near Greewich, NY in 1932.Four years later, in 1936, Mr. Knight used it on a fishing trip near Toronto, and due toits success, named it the Assassin. Gregory Clark, who also was on that trip, renamed it Mickey Finn, presumably because of the recent death of Rudolph Valentino by a dose of barbiturates (that is, he was slipped a Mickey Finn). Over the next few years, it was popularized in the outdoors press, and since has become a staple streamer for brook trout.

Tying Instructions:

1. Start the thread behind the eye of the hook and lay down an even base of thread wraps to the hook bend. Wind thread back to about 3/16" behind the eye.
2. Tie the oval tinsel to the underside of the hook, and wrap thread over it back to the beginning of the bend, keeping the tinsel on the underside of the hook. Wind thread back to about 3/16" behind the eye.
3. Tie in the flat tinsel, and wrap it to the bend of the hook and back to the place where it was originally tied in, making sure that no thread shows through the tinsel. Tie the end of the tinsel and cut it off.
4. As the start of the wing, select a small bunch of yellow bucktail, even it, and tie it to the hook, using the loop technique as described by Martin Joergensen (). The tips of the bucktail should extend just beyond the back of the hook
5. Secondly, select a small bunch of red bucktail (about the same size as the yellow), even it, and tie it on top of the yellow bunch, again using the loop technique.
6. For the last portion of the wing, select another small bunch of yellow bucktail (again, about the same size as the previous two bunches) and tie it on top using the same procedure. This loop technique helps keep the colors separate, but you must be careful not to roll one bundle around the other, obscuring the lower color.
7. Apply a coat of penetrating, clear head cement before finishing the head, and allow it to dry.
8. Complete the head with thread wraps, and cement it again with penetrating, clear head cement. Allow it to dry, and finish the head with black Cellire for a glossy look.