Fly Tying Inventory
Missing Link
Mercer's Missing Link comes from Mike Mercer. It combines a slim olive thread abdomen ribbed with a single strand of pearl Krystal Flash, a small peacock-colored dubbed thorax, spent wings of midge gray Zelon, a cree hackle and a bleached elk hair wing whose trimmed butts form the head. The spent Zelon wings stick out to the sides beneath the elk and hackle. It is tied on a standard dry fly hook in sizes 12 to 18. Tied here on a TMC 100.
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Materials
Tiemco TMC 100 Standard Dry Fly hook (or any standard dry fly hook), sizes 12-18
12-18
6/0 (140 denier) thread, olive, which also forms the abdomen
Olive · 6/0
Peacock-colored dubbing
Peacock
Straight Zelon, midge gray, for the spent wings
Midge Gray
Cree rooster hackle
Cree
Bleached elk hair, for the upper wing and head
Bleached
How to Tie the Missing Link
- 1
Step 1
Start the olive thread behind the eye and wrap back to the bend.
- 2
Step 2
Tie in a single strand of pearl Krystal Flash at the bend.
- 3
Step 3
Wrap the thread forward in smooth, even turns to build a slim abdomen, stopping short of the eye to leave room for the thorax and wing.
- 4
Step 4
Wind the Krystal Flash forward in open spirals as a rib, tie it off and trim.
- 5
Step 5
Dub a small ball of peacock-colored dubbing just ahead of the abdomen for the thorax.
- 6
Step 6
Lay a length of Zelon across the shank at the thorax and lock it in with figure-eight wraps so it sticks out to each side as spent wings.
- 7
Step 7
Tie in a cree hackle by its stem ahead of the thorax.
- 8
Step 8
Clean and stack a bunch of bleached elk hair. Tie it in on top with the tips pointing back over the body, leaving the butts forward over the eye.
- 9
Step 9
Wrap the hackle at the base of the elk hair, tie it off and trim the tip.
- 10
Step 10
Trim the elk butts square to form a short head, then whip finish.
- 11
Step 11
Trim the Zelon wings to length on each side.
Watch Tying Tutorial
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p69Tayjmsw8
Credit: Tim Flagler / Tightline Productions