Submitted by Florin Sabac
COMMENTS
- Most Sedge (AKA Caddis) come out at night for mating, the dry Mikulak Sedge fly (developed by Art Mikulak of Calgary) is the imitation of a travelling/skating (skims along water) lake Sedge which normally comes out at midday. Also works when no hatch as a general attractor pattern.
- Sedge hatches can be great fishing, troll or rapidly retrieve, but if water surface is crystal clear, trout become very selective as going for emergers, so change to an emerger fly and leave on water, occasionally twitch.
- Look for Phil Rowley's version online http://www.flyanglersonline.com/flytying/fotw2/033103fotw.php
MATERIAL
- Hook: #6 (best for lake Sedges) to#10 (for smaller Sedges) Tiemco 200R or 5363 - 2XL.
- Thread: Olive or Green Monocord or 6/0 (finer can cut Elk Hair).
- Tail: Elk Hair.
- Body: Olive Seal Dubbing (or peacock herl).
- Wings: Elk Hair x 3 - with body between each.
- Hackle: Brown Saddle.
- Thorax: Trimmed butts of last Elk Hair wing.
METHOD
- Hook in vice, thread onto hook behind eye, wrap back down shank.
- TAIL: Cut off thin clump hair, hold clump by tips, clean fuzz with comb or fingers, placing into hair stacker tips down, remove, measure tail as hook length, tie in at end of shank, don't over tighten otherwise will hairs will flare, wrap forward toward eye with loose wraps, cut off before eye, wrap back tying on tightly, so that tail will flare.
- BODY: Wrap Seal Fur around thread as dubbin to make noodle, warp around end of shank, add more fur, slide up thread, wrap on.
- READ WING: Cut off second amount of Elk Hair, comb out fuzz, place in Hair Stacker tool, tap, remove, trim off butts to make square. Tie onto top of shank with tips back, do not flare threads, trim off butt, thread wrap to secure butt end.
- BODY: Seal Fur dubbin, wrap around body.
- MIDDLE WING: Cut off third amount of Elk Hair, comb out fuzz, place in Hair Stacker tool, tap, remove, trim off butts to make square. Tie onto top of shank with tips back, do not flare threads, trim off butt, thread wrap to secure butt end.
- BODY: Seal Fur dubbin, wrap around body.
- FRONT WING/HEAD: Cut off fourth amount of Elk Hair, comb out fuzz, place in Hair Stacker tool, tap, remove, trim off butts to make square. Tie onto top of shank with tips back, do not flare threads, tie in front and whip finish to secure, tie in middle to flare half the hair at front.
- HACKLE: Tie on and wrap three wraps, to give strength wrap threads 3-4b times, trim hackle.
- HEAD: Trim hair at angle above eye to create head.
- Whip finish behind eye, two whip finish versus head cement.
- LEGS: Trim hackle top and bottom so that represents side pointing legs on each side, which helps to stabilize fly vertically on water surface and create drag in water.
Picture of few Mikulak Sedges, all are tied on #6 Daiichi 1260, which is long shank, curved, but lighter wire than TMC 2300. The other materials are: Elk hair, olive seal fur dubbing, some brown hackle, and 6/0 brown tying thread. The bullet head version is a mutant, inspired by the Madam X (simple elk hair bullet head fly) pattern, because I find it gets the hackle in a better position with easier control.