Clouser Minnow

This week’s Throw Back Thursday Fly is the Clouser Minnow.

Clouser Minnow | www.johnkreft.com

This Clouser Minnow is one a friend gave me a couple of years ago.

Bob Clouser invented the Clouser Minnow in 1987 to imitate smallmouth bass on the Susquehanna River.

My quick research found the fly was named by Lefty Kreh as the Clouser Deep Minnow. He used the fly in fresh and saltwater and has caught over 87 species of game fish using the fly.

A #2 saltwater hook was used for the original fly with a white bucktail belly, gold Krystal Flash and natural brown bucktail for the wing. The other color was tied with white bucktail for the belly, silver Krystal Flash, and gray-dyed bucktail.

The Clouser Minnow can be tied in a other popular colors including tan and white, white and black, chartreuse and white, and brown and white.

Tying the eyes on the bottom of the hook inverts the fly so it doesn’t hang up on the bottom. In addition, the heavy eyes cause the fly to have a jigging motion when fished.

The Clouser Minnow is still a very popular streamer pattern. If you haven’t tried one, you’re missing out!

Enjoy…go fish!

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