Clouser Deep Minnow

Clouser Deep Minnow an artificial fly widely popular for fresh and salt water game fish.

I remember hearing once that when Lefty Kreh was ask if he could only choose two flies to fish what would they be? His reported reply was, “A Clouser Minnow and another Clouser Minnow.” This was no doubt a nod to his friend Bob Clouser who originated the pattern, and high praise indeed from the originator of another great fly the Lefty’s Deceiver.
Initially used for smallmouth bass the popular Clouser pattern is now widely used for many species of fresh and saltwater game fish. Lefty Kreh claims to have caught over 87 species of fish on the Clouser Minnow.
The extremely versatile Clouser Minnow is tied in a wide variety of color and material combinations. These size #4 chartreuse, orange and red bucktail wing Clouser are intended for Pacific Northwest estuary salmon.

Chartreuse is probably the top color for Pacific Northwest salmon.

Clouser Minnow Again

Orange Back Clouser Minnows for Pacific salmon. Worked pretty well in the estuaries this past Fall.

Back to working on Clouser Minnows. I’m getting pretty good at this pattern. Many thanks go to a video I found done by Bob Clouser himself explaining all the techniques of constructing this fly.

After Christmas Fly Tying

The graph says it all. It has been a rocking and rolling Rogue River . El Nino conditions dominate as the wet weather systems continue to arrive. High Rogue River flows mean little fishing on the river except for the far upper reach, and even there the release is high from the dam.

With all the water flowing about southern Oregon it seems ironic to be tying up a big order of low water steelhead flies. But that is was I’m doing. These are variation of G.B Skunk destined for quieter Fall conditions on the Grande Rhonde and John Day Rivers. As per customer request they are being tied reduced with no red feather tail. Just a bit of chartreuse floss from the front of the butt section. Addition materials are Artic fox (wing), Chickabou soft hackle (collar) and black seal fur or dubbing brush body.  Tied in sizes six and eight on a Gamakatsu T10-3H hooks.

Skunk Variation

Low Water Steelhead Pattern

Gamakatsu (extra sharp hooks)

Merry Christmas 2015

Steelhead Green Butt Skunk Gold Brooch Pin

Classic Steelhead Fly Brooch

The Green Butt Skunk is a steelhead fly pattern with a great tradition. The fly harkens back to a day when swinging flies for steelhead in the soup of a river was the cast de jour. A classic beauty, this patterns sits well on a brooch pin hook. A look at the back side of the pin shows the method of attachment to a garment or hat. Guaranteed to catch the attention of more than a wet fish!