How to Tie Al's Rat

Al's Rat is a fly originally tied by Al Miller, who frequently fished the Little Lehigh and created a bunch of patterns that fool fish there, as well as any where else I have fished them.  This is a great midge imitation and I fish it all different times of the year and at all levels of the water column.  This fly works great as a dropper off a bigger nymph pattern, in tandem with another midge pattern, as a dropper off a dry fly, or any other way you can think to fish it.

Hook: I'm using a size 24 Tiemco 100
Thread: 6/0 brown
Dubbing: Muskrat underfur

Step 1: Start the thread and wrap back to on the shank to a point even with the barb of the hook

Step 2: Wrap back up to the eye of the hook

 

Step 3: Wrap back down the shank, but stop short of where you wrapped down to the first time

Step 4: Wrap back up almost to the eye of the hook

Step 5: Pick out the underfur from the muskrat and spin onto your thread

Step 6: Dub a thorax

Step 7: Whip finish and cut the thread