How To Tie Simple Fly Fishing Flies & Ties

Here is the first in a series of blog posts we’ll do called simple flies / simple ties. We are by no means experts in the art of fly tying, but, as anglers we do learn a great deal about fish and what they eat by learning and tying flies. In the case of this week’s blog we are tying the Clouser Minnow, a fly originally invented by the famous Bob Clouser for smallmouth bass. This fly has since been adapted to many fishing applications; we find it a very useful “go-to” fly for striped bass.

Let’s start with the materials you’ll need:

• You can use a variety of hook sizes, in this blog we are using a Mustad 2/0
• White and Olive bucktail (we also tie them with Chartreuse as well – bass love these)
• Dumbell eyes (match the size of the eyes to the hook, here we use Large eyes)
• Flashaboo
• Finishing cement
• Thread

Start your thread just behind the hook eye and wrap backward. End your backward wraps at the place on the hook where you intend to anchor the eyes (give yourself plenty of room, you will need to anchor the bucktail in front of the eyes later on).

Anchoring the eyes can be a little tricky, but gets easier with practice. Position the eyes on the top of the hook and secure them with wraps that criss cross on the top of the dumbbell eyes and wrap under the shank of the hook. After every few criss cross wraps or so, wrap underneath the eyes and above the hook shank. This helps tighten up the wraps and secures the eyes to the hook. Finish this step by wrapping your thread back towards the eye. This is a good time to secure the thread that holds the eyes with a drop of finishing cement.

Next its time to grab some bucktail. You’ll want to find some of the longest hairs on the tail for a size 2/0 hook. The length of hair depends on personal preference but double the length of the hook shank is a decent place to start. You need less than you think, sparsely tied Clouser Minnows seem to work better than bulky ones.

Once you’ve cut the section of bucktail and thinned it out to your preference, pinch it between your thumb and forefinger and trim the ends until they are even. Lay the hair between the eyes with the trimmed ends towards the front of the hook and just behind the eye. Give the thread bobbin a counter clockwise spin (this helps the next part) and capture the hairs with a loose wrap or two just in front of the eyes. Continue wrapping towards the eye, tightening as you go.

If you have a rotary vise, rotate the hook 180 degrees, or simply release the hook and flip it over.  The eyes will ride down and the white bucktail will imitate the white underbelly of a baitfish (such as a sand eel).  Cut a short piece of flashaboo, fold it in half and attach to the hook in front of the eyes with a few wraps.