SFOTM 07-2014 - The Clouser Minnow

[damage]

ironically my biggest fish have been on the "smaller " 15-20cm fly's

here are a few smaller clouser cousins on the dryer

/d

[Scythe]

Well now ... these aren't exactly Saltwater Clousers, nor purist Clousers (kindly note the B10S) ... but they work for me and I'd be willing to chuck these
in almost any estuarine environment with mullet or small nondescript baitfish ...

(Please note, these have all been swum and/or eaten, so they are a little frayed and seeing as they are tied for Tigers, I don't bother with making them too neat, no point really)

Hook : 2/0 Gamakatsu B10S
Eyes : Real Eyes Dumbells 5.5mm
Thread : Tan (of sorts)
Underwing : Brush and Wing Fibre - Shrimp
Flash/Lateral Line : Red Crystal Flash
Overwing : Tan SF Fibre
Barring done with standard black coloured marker, four bands along the body, evenly spaced.

[Scythe]

Another variation :

This fellow includes more brown and a lot less flash in addition to a bleeding red belly, something which I believe is a key trigger for almost any predatory fish.

More recent versions of this fly has been tied with Yak hair, which is then coloured, the Yak hair being very supple giving the fly a lively swimming action
while remaining virtually flashless, a prerequisite when fishing water with viz of 5m+.

[Ko7Ad]

So here are my contributions for the month.

Olive SF Clouser - This is my go to estuary fly and has accounted for numerous species ranging from small Kob, Kngies, Perch and every single Skip Jack I have caught to date. The fly looks like any other Clouser, but tied very sparsely with SF to allow for some translucency. I have had my most success letting this fly sink to the bottom after the cast and then stripping this fly with a very fast single handed retrieve up through the water column. In the photo's I have not yet debarbed the hooks, this is key to reducing tangles around the hook.

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Some Skippies that approved:





The Front to Back Clouser - A concept fly I have been playing with that allows the fly to maintain more of a baitfish profile but still have some jigging action that a Clouser is renowned for! Lets hope it works just as well as the original.

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[Kevin James]

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Some dead soldiers from this last trip.

Just uploaded an album if anyone is interested.

I'll add some more pictures as I get along.