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The Clouser Minnow
is a classic fly, created by one of the icons of our sport.
Though it’s a fly that is easy to tie, its effectiveness in
many different situations has led to its wide acclaim.
During the winter months on South Carolina Low Country’s
tidal flats the shrimp are gone, bait-sized crabs are hard
to come by, and mud minnows become primary prey for redfish.
Clouser Minnows tied with white undersides and brown backs
seem to provide a great imitation; on cloudy days, replacing
the white belly with olive increases visibility and strikes.
With cooler water temperatures and more lethargic fish, try
smaller strips with an occasional pause – letting the fish
get onto a crash course with the fly will often elicit a
strike! The Clouser has been tied in many different
color combinations; in warmer months, chartreuse/white and
chartreuse/olive have worked well on spot tails. Clouser Minnow Materials Back:
Tan Bucktail Belly:
White Bucktail Eyes: Lead or
Brass Eyes, sized to hook Flash:
Root Beer Krystal Flash Hook:
Mustad 3407 #1 Thread: 3/0 Monocord, Weed guard:
30# monofilament Tying Instructions
http://community.flyfisherman.com/print/7874 Tip: Tie one end of the
weed guard right behind the eyes after they are attached.
Tie the other end in just before whip-finishing.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Ai3PjzDusM&feature=related How the Clouser Minnow was
developed – Bob Clouser In 1984, Tom Schmucker of Wapsi
Fly Co, sent me some metallic ‘dumb-bell’ shaped eyes that I
used to produce a weighted fly which gave the action of an
escaping baitfish. Attaching metallic eyes to the hook
turned the fly upside down. This helped prevent it
from snagging on debris… Deer hair and other fibers were
selected to form the sleek silhouette of the pattern.
Flash material is in the center and hangs out beyond the
rear of the fly to add luster and life to the pattern.
We also found that the fly would never stop moving during a
retrieve. This is what makes the pattern so
effective – it mimics the action of a baitfish constantly
darting to escape a predator. By varying hook
sizes and materials, we found that many species, world-wide,
can be caught on this fly. |
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