How to Tie the Clouser Minnow, Step by Step

Learn to make one of the crucial potent flies in salt- and freshwater

Placing the ending touches on a Clouser Minnow. {Photograph} by Joe Cermele

Few flies are as ubiquitously potent because the Clouser Minnow. Invented by legendary fly angler Bob Clouser within the late Nineteen Eighties, the sample rapidly proved it had much more makes use of than initially supposed. Clouser created the sample to focus on smallmouth bass on Pennsylvania’s Susquehanna River, and whereas it’s nonetheless among the finest bronzeback flies you possibly can tie on at present, there’s nary a predator fish on the planet that gained’t slam one.

The Clouser Minnow is a baitfish imitation before everything, and it doesn’t matter what measurement or coloration you’re casting, all of them behave the identical means within the water. Heavy lead dumbbell eyes on the underside of the shank present weight on the nostril so the sample sinks rapidly when it splashes down and rides with the hook level dealing with up. These eyes, nevertheless, additionally produce a jigging motion once you strip the fly line. The rhythmic rising and falling of a Clouser is difficult for any fish to move up. However it might do greater than mirror a swimming baitfish.

Clousers are most frequently tied with white or light-colored bucktail on the underside (the stomach) and a darker coloration on high (the again). Chartreuse over white, olive over white, and blue over white are only a few staples when making an attempt to match baitfish species. However by tying them with an orange stomach and darkish brown again, for instance, Clousers can even mimic crayfish. Hopping them alongside the underside can draw consideration from species like smallmouth and carp, and if tied with darks like purple and black, the fly can even imitate a leech for walleye or yellow perch. From bonefish flats to deep lakes to jungle river loaded with unique species, the Clouser will make the play. And in case you’re into tying your individual flies, making a Clouser couldn’t be less complicated.

The way to Tie the Clouser Minnow

Not solely is the Clouser one of the crucial deadly patterns in each salt- and freshwater, it’s additionally one of many best to tie. It’s generally taught in newbie tying courses, so even in case you’re new to creating your individual flies, with minimal follow you’ll be capable to knock out a Clouser in brief order. Conversely, in case you’re a seasoned fly tier, you possibly can whip up a dozen in a jiffy. That is the right sample to stockpile within the low season as a result of you possibly can by no means have sufficient. Plus, Clousers are likely to get beat up after prolonged use. The tough mouths of species like bass will take their toll on the bucktail, and lead dumbbell eyes get chipped and mashed.

The most effective issues in regards to the sample is that it’s additionally simply tailor-made to your wants and goal species. Hooks and dumbbell eyes can be found in a large vary of sizes. This implies you can also make tiny Clousers with small, mild eyes that can hammer on little creeks, or massive Clousers with wider, heavier eyes and stouter hooks able to tangle with offshore denizens. No matter what you’re chasing and what measurement Clousers you want, the tying process and supplies listing stays the identical.

Supplies

Tying Steps

1. Place the hook within the vise with the purpose dealing with down. Cowl the primary two-thirds of the shank with thread from the hook eye towards the bend. Safe the dumbbell eyes to the highest of the shank with a collection of figure-8 wraps. Be certain to go away house between the dumbbell eyes and the hook eye.

2. Lower a sparse clump of the lighter bucktail. It ought to be lengthy sufficient to increase previous the hook bend by roughly an inch, and simply previous the dumbbell eyes on the opposite aspect ending simply shy of the hook eye. Tightly safe it to the shank simply behind the dumbbell eyes.

3. Wrap over the sunshine bucktail towards the rear of the hook stopping simply earlier than the hook bend.

4. Now, wrap ahead once more ending simply behind the dumbbell eyes.

5. Work the thread across the eyes so it’s positioned in entrance of them. Safe the minimize finish of the bucktail tightly in entrance of the eyes. You may snip away any extra to keep away from crowding the hook eye, and ideally these wraps could have pointed, tapered look as soon as the bucktail is secured within the entrance.

6. Rotate your vise so the hook level is now dealing with up or take away the fly and flip it in case your vise doesn’t rotate. Lower just a few lengthy strands of flash materials however be sparse — 4 to 6 strands are enough for the Clouser Minnow. Fold these strands in half across the thread till the ends meet and safe them on the nostril of the fly with just a few wraps. Ideally, the folded flash will lengthen simply previous the sunshine coloured bucktail.

7. Break up the flash materials evenly across the hook level and add just a few extra wraps on the nostril to lock the fabric in place.

8. Lower a sparse clump of the darker coloured bucktail. It ought to lengthen previous the sunshine bucktail by roughly a half an inch. Tie it in on the highest of the shank ahead of the dumbbell eyes. Watch out to not crowd or cowl the hook eye.