Methods to Tie the Clouser Minnow, Step by Step

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

Posted on January 17, 2024

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 Eighties, the sample shortly proved it had way 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 probably the greatest bronzeback flies you may tie on at present, there’s nary a predator fish on the earth that received’t slam one.

The Clouser Minnow is a baitfish imitation at first, and it doesn’t matter what measurement or colour you’re casting, all of them behave the identical method within the water. Heavy lead dumbbell eyes on the underside of the shank present weight on the nostril so the sample sinks shortly when it splashes down and rides with the hook level going through up. These eyes, nonetheless, additionally produce a jigging motion while you strip the fly line. The rhythmic rising and falling of a Clouser is tough for any fish to cross up. However it may well 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 colour on high (the again). Chartreuse over white, olive over white, and blue over white are only a few staples when attempting to match baitfish species. However by tying them with an orange stomach and darkish brown again, for instance, Clousers may 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 may 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 when you’re into tying your individual flies, making a Clouser couldn’t be less complicated.

Methods 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 lessons, so even when you’re new to creating your individual flies, with minimal observe you’ll be capable to knock out a Clouser briefly order. Conversely, when you’re a seasoned fly tier, you may whip up a dozen in a jiffy. That is the right sample to stockpile within the low season as a result of you may by no means have sufficient. Plus, Clousers are inclined 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.

Top-of-the-line issues concerning 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 giant 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 course of and supplies record stays the identical.

Supplies

Tying Steps

1. Place the hook within the vise with the purpose going through 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 area between the dumbbell eyes and the hook eye.

2. Reduce a sparse clump of the lighter bucktail. It needs to be lengthy sufficient to increase previous the hook bend by roughly an inch, and simply previous the dumbbell eyes on the opposite facet 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 reduce finish of the bucktail tightly in entrance of the eyes. You’ll be able to 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 going through up or take away the fly and flip it in case your vise doesn’t rotate. Reduce 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. Cut 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. Reduce 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.