Materials

Tying Instructions

The Clouser Minnow imitates a baitfish. The heavy eyes are tied on top of the hook to cause the fly to ride point up which diminishes snagging. It is a sparse fly. All the fiber materials bundled together should have a thickness about equal to a kitchen match.

Start white thread behind hook eye. Leave more head space than you think you will need. Tie on the eyes about three hook eye sizes back. Take several criss-cross wraps and then a couple of tightening wraps around these wraps between the eyes and the hook shank. There are a lot of choices in what you can use for the eyes, but they have to be heavy enough that the hook will ride with the point up.

For the belly hair, the traditional choice is white bucktail. We are aiming to make a fly which is about 3" long. The hair can be stacked for an even look or left unstacked. Take a wrap of thread around the bundle of hair before taking any wraps around the hook shank. This will keep the hair from rolling round the shank.

Start red thread behind the eyes and pull the white belly hair over the top of the eyes and tie off with a 1/8" wide band of red thread. Whip finish and trim the red thread. The red represents gills here. Paint Softex over white belly hair to and including the red band. Softex as the name implies cures soft and doesn't leave hair brittle and easily broken off.

Invert fly in vise-nice to have a rotary vise for this, but not essential. Tie on several strands of pearl flash on each side. Stack some green bucktail and trim to about the same length as the belly and tie it on in front of the eyes only. On top of it tie a few strands of green flash. Build a tapered head with white thread, whip finish and trim. With green felt marker color the top of the head to match the wing. Apply two coats of Softex over the head and belly from the hook eye to and including the red band.