Deadpool Midge Pattern & Tying Instructions
Fly Tying Recipe:
Deadpool Midge
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The Deadpool Midge incorporates many of my favorite midge larva building materials into one super-tasty little package. And like the character it’s named for, is adorned in red and black and is pretty much indestructible.
I start with a Dai-Riki #270 in size 22. As is almost always the case, plunger-style hackle pliers make handling small hooks like this a breeze. Because of the 270’s bend, it’s pretty much essential you get the hook barb mashed down really well before trying to slip on a bead. Here I’m going to use one of my favorites, a midge-sized crystal pearl glass bead. Just troll your hook through the school until you snag one. Do make sure it slips around the hook bend and doesn’t get hung up. I like to get beads on several hooks at once in order to speed up the tying process. Leaving the hooks in the hackle pliers allows you to easily get them secured in the jaws of your tying vise. Make sure the bead is pushed all the way up behind the hook eye.
My tying procedure on this fly is a tad wonky but it works for me. It begins by loading two bobbins, each with a spool of black 70 Denier thread. Use one of the bobbins to get your thread started on the hook shank behind the bead and take a few wraps rearward before snipping or breaking off the tag.
Red Sulky Holoshimmer is used for the body of the fly. A 10” length snipped from the spool is enough to make numerous flies. Lay one end of the material against the near side of the hook and take a couple of thread wraps to secure it. Then pull the material under the wraps until just the very end is exposed. Make touching wraps with your tying thread to bind the Holoshimmer to the top of the hook shank, well down into the bend. Then relocate your bobbin somewhere out of the way, toward the back of your tying vise.
Now, pick up your second bobbin and start that thread on the hook shank behind the bead. A little strange, I know, but I’m telling you the procedure works. Get hold of the Holoshimmer and start making slightly overlapping wraps with it, up the hook shank, toward the eye. When you reach the newly tied in tying thread, use it to secure the material to the top of the hook shank and then snip the excess off close. Pick up your whip finish tool and do a 3 or 4 turn whip finish to anchor the thread and then snip or cut that bobbin free.
Next, pick up the first bobbin, bring it around to the front of your vise and give it a really good clockwise spin to cord up the thread. This will make for a finer rib, which in turn, allows you to segment the body more as you take open spiral wraps up, toward the back of the bead.
I like to use black rabbit fur for the collar of the fly. It’s better to err on the side of not enough rather than too much. Use the rabbit to create a short, really slender, dubbing noodle on your tying thread. Then, take wraps with the noodle to build up a small furry collar behind the bead.
With that done, once again reach for your whip finish tool and do a 3 or 4 turn whip finish, seat the knot well and then snip or cut your tying thread free. Those two wayward fibers are driving me nuts so I’m going to snip them off. Best to use your own judgement for such things.
Once you get the hang of the tying procedure, you can crank these demonic looking little guys out in fairly short order without expending maximum effort.
I start with a Dai-Riki #270 in size 22. As is almost always the case, plunger-style hackle pliers make handling small hooks like this a breeze. Because of the 270’s bend, it’s pretty much essential you get the hook barb mashed down really well before trying to slip on a bead. Here I’m going to use one of my favorites, a midge-sized crystal pearl glass bead. Just troll your hook through the school until you snag one. Do make sure it slips around the hook bend and doesn’t get hung up. I like to get beads on several hooks at once in order to speed up the tying process. Leaving the hooks in the hackle pliers allows you to easily get them secured in the jaws of your tying vise. Make sure the bead is pushed all the way up behind the hook eye.
My tying procedure on this fly is a tad wonky but it works for me. It begins by loading two bobbins, each with a spool of black 70 Denier thread. Use one of the bobbins to get your thread started on the hook shank behind the bead and take a few wraps rearward before snipping or breaking off the tag.
Red Sulky Holoshimmer is used for the body of the fly. A 10” length snipped from the spool is enough to make numerous flies. Lay one end of the material against the near side of the hook and take a couple of thread wraps to secure it. Then pull the material under the wraps until just the very end is exposed. Make touching wraps with your tying thread to bind the Holoshimmer to the top of the hook shank, well down into the bend. Then relocate your bobbin somewhere out of the way, toward the back of your tying vise.
Now, pick up your second bobbin and start that thread on the hook shank behind the bead. A little strange, I know, but I’m telling you the procedure works. Get hold of the Holoshimmer and start making slightly overlapping wraps with it, up the hook shank, toward the eye. When you reach the newly tied in tying thread, use it to secure the material to the top of the hook shank and then snip the excess off close. Pick up your whip finish tool and do a 3 or 4 turn whip finish to anchor the thread and then snip or cut that bobbin free.
Next, pick up the first bobbin, bring it around to the front of your vise and give it a really good clockwise spin to cord up the thread. This will make for a finer rib, which in turn, allows you to segment the body more as you take open spiral wraps up, toward the back of the bead.
I like to use black rabbit fur for the collar of the fly. It’s better to err on the side of not enough rather than too much. Use the rabbit to create a short, really slender, dubbing noodle on your tying thread. Then, take wraps with the noodle to build up a small furry collar behind the bead.
With that done, once again reach for your whip finish tool and do a 3 or 4 turn whip finish, seat the knot well and then snip or cut your tying thread free. Those two wayward fibers are driving me nuts so I’m going to snip them off. Best to use your own judgement for such things.
Once you get the hang of the tying procedure, you can crank these demonic looking little guys out in fairly short order without expending maximum effort.
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