Last week we kicked off our mini-series on Steelhead flies with a super simple egg pattern and this week we follow suit with an easy-to-tie classic baitfish imitation – the Clouser Minnow. And who better to show us how to tie the Clouser Minnow in this two-part fly tying video series than none other but Bob Clouser himself!
3 Tips on Tying the Clouser Minnow
- Attaching Dumbbell Eyes – If you have ever been frustrated trying to attach those darn dumbbell eyes to the hook shank you are not alone. But fret not, Bob shares his secret thread bump, cross-over and lasso trick (at least that is how I think of it) that helps position and secure the eyes properly in the first fly tying video above.
- Aligning Body Parts – I really like Bob’s tip on pulling up as you secure your body materials, such as the bucktail and krystal flash, to prevent the material from spinning on the hook shank. A seemingly simple but invaluable tip.
- Tapering Bucktail Head – If you would like to avoid bulky heads on your Clouser Minnow pay special attention to how Bob angles the Bucktail as he ties it in. Bob makes it look easy and it takes some practice but you too can make streamers with nicely tapered heads, even when using coarse body materials like Bucktail.
Clouser Minnow Material List
Hook: Mustad 3406B #6 to 1/0
Thread: 6/0, color to match top wing
Eye: Dumbbell eyes, lead or tungsten
Wing: Bucktail
Flash: Krystal Flash or equivalent
Enjoy!