Bob Clouser’s minnow pattern was originally developed for smallmouth bass, but it has become a fly-box staple for anglers chasing saltwater species, warmwater big game, and even trout. The fly looks like a baitfish, gets deep, and fishes with a jigging motion that predators simply can’t resist. As with any such popular pattern, fly tiers have come up with many variations based on the original.
In this typically great how-to video, Tim Flagler of Tightline Productions shows you how to tie a Craft Fur version of the Clouser Minnow. When wet, Craft Fur undulates in the water, and this version also has considerably more bulk than the original. As you’ll see, the tying process is not difficult, and the end product is both attractive and fishy.
Make sure watch Tim’s videos in full 4K resolution. You’ve never seen fly tying look so good.
Craft-Fur Clouser
Hook: Standard saltwater hook (here, a Dai-Riki #930), sizes 2/0-2.
Thread: Red, 6/0 or 140-denier.
Eyes: White dumbbell eyes, size large (1/4-inch).
Adhesive #1: UV-cure resin.
Flash: 4 strands of Gold Krystal Flash.
Back: Off-white Craft Fur.
Belly #2: Medium-olive Craft Fur.
Adhesive #2: UV-cure resin.
Tools: Toothbrush, fabric shears, flea comb, whip-finish tool.
Going too try this one
Thunder Creek Clouser comes to mind.
Tied Thunder Creek style on a Clouser chassis.
A new half & half?
Genius
Nice pattern. I plan to tie and try it. I too had thoughts of thunder creeks when I viewed the video.
Here’s a tip for consistency in material density across a batch of the same pattern using craft fur material. Mark the back of the fur patch with rectangles that contain the amount of the fur desired. Then use a single edge razor blade to cut through the backing only on the marked lines. This yields separate patches each containing exactly the amount of fur desired. For this pattern I’d cut 1/2 by 2 inch rectangles. It’s now easy to brush out a patch to align the fibers and cutting from a half inch wide rectangle is easier than if you cut from a 1 by 1 inch square.