Clouser Minnow

[Merle]

What would be average size to tie Clouser minnows. ( for trout )

Merle

 

[Padraic]

Merle,

I carry streamers in sizes 8 and 12 for the most part. I do better with the smaller ones early in the season and the bigger ones in the fall. But that's not gospel... certainly you can go even bigger and do great in the Spring. It's just what I do.

I tend to trust streamers better in high or stained water, or around dusk.

 

[sandfly]

I tie em from 4 to 10 on a mustad 3366 hook..

 

[Darryl]

I tye mine in sizes #4 through #10 for trout on T.M.C. #8089 hooks. For me, I've found sizes #8 and #10 to be the most "all around" effective for this pattern.

I've tied them in many, many different colors. I've even made meticulous attempts at matching the coloration of the various minnows in the streams and rivers I fish but amazingly enough I've found that the most effective color combination is a Chartreuse back with a white belly and just a wisp of red crystal flash tied in at the lateral line. I've not an idea why this color has worked so well for me since there are certainly no chartreuse minnows or anything else swimming around where I fish. Who knows? It sure does work though.

-Darryl

 

[TimMurphy]

Dear Merle,

The Clouser Foxee minnow is my go-to trout streamer. It's nothing more than a Clouser minnow tied with foxtail. I like to tie them on Tiemco 200R's in size 6 and 8 or a suitable knock-off of that hook. I'll tie them up to size 4 on 3366 Mustads but that is pretty much the limit due to the length of the hair on the foxtails that I have. If I had longer foxtails I'd tie them much larger.

Just to give you an idea I've succesfully fished Clouser minnows tied on 1/0 Mustad 34007's for trout. In high water all black, all purple, and all white seem to bring out the big boys and girls, but those size flies will also work for aggressive fish in clear water.

Regards,
Tim Murphy

 

[Merle]

Tim, I caught my first Bass on a foxie minnow when I hired a guide for casting lesson / fishing trip. Funny , I never thought about tying some up. I just made a order from FFP, to bad that I made my order before I read your post. I guess I’ll have to get some fox tail with my next order, it might be awhile, 60 miles from the nearest fly shop makes it hard to do. I have so much stuff I don’t really need because of filling a order just for one or two items. :-(

Best Fishes
Merle

 

[TimMurphy]

Dear Merle,

Foxtail is hard to find in even the best fly shops and when you do find it it, it is usually very expensive, as in $ 20.00 per tail. It's just not used in a lot of patterns but it does make kick-azz minnies!

The best place to get foxtail is at a a trapper's rendezvous. I had a buddy pick up 2 foxtails and a coyote tail at the NY State trapper's show for me a couple of years ago for $ 10.00 because they weren't "fur making" grade. They work great for flies though!

Here is a link to place in Idaho that sells commercial furs. Just click on the link and when it opens click on the "tails" section under the miscellaneous section in the top left corner. It's literally the first thing you can click on when their web page opens! Fox and coyote tails are cheap from these guys!

http://www.hideandfur.com/inventory/Dressed.html

Merry Christmas!
Tim Murphy

 

[Merle]

Tim, it is a long time till Sping, I think I could find a road kill by that time. Thanks

Merle

 

[Sylvaneous]

I WOULD NOT tie a clouser for trout. To put in context, I fish clouser minnows about 80 percent of the time for smallies in big and smaller waters. Given that I have most of June July and August to fish and a burgeoning smallmouth fishery a quick bicycle ride from my house, I probably fish a clouser minnow for maybe 60 to 70 percent of ALL of my total fly fishing. I'm a fan of the pattern.

That being said, I don't use those types of hair bodied fly for long shank hooks. Go with a fur strip (zonker) style fly, a "Matuka" type fly: something that you can put a hook point way back there but still get lively action from the hair on the top of the strip or the feather fibers. Long hooks will get the streamer material of a Clouser style wrapped around them and a short shanked hook will miss many or most tail-nipping trout strikes.

Most all streamer trout fishing is FAST pitch and strip affairs. If you fish it too slowly, the fish will loose interest. A zonker style will give you all the realism you need to fool fish.

I've killed myself (forgive the Semetic over-statment) with realistic hair bodied flies. Learn from my mistakes.

Tying: If you dont like the lead tape and mylar tubing Zonker tie, don't sweat it. I use Clouser eyes for weight up front and Estaz for the body underneath the fur strip. Simple, easy, effective. I wouldn't recommend a Cone head. The fly flips over under a forceful strip too easily. (some do, some don't. Go figgure)

Syl

 

[tomgamber]

I've used clousers for trout many times and they work just fine...You don't tie a clouser on a long hook anyway. Try them with materials like "unique hair' or some of the other synthetic materials that are cheaper and more durable than buck tail..I still use a lot of bucktail but some of the color blends you can come up with are real effective.
Have tied them from size 10 to size 2/0...of course the bigger ones are for the beach.