Micro Clouser
Hook: SL-11 H #8.
Thread: Vevus 100.
Pseudo Eyes: White (M).
Belly: Fly
Tyers Dungion SB Pearl.
Wing #1: Cream
& White Bucktail with a mix of FTD SB Pearl Aura Fibers.
Wing #2: Fly
Tyers Dungeon BDG – AW Olive.
Back Flash: Ripple Ice Peacock.
About a year ago fellow fly angler and friend, Ted Rzepski, gave me this fly. Ted began using it because the bait stripers have been feeding on the past couple of years have tended to be tiny, less than 2” long. It’s small size makes it a dream to cast. I didn’t have a chance to fish it for stripers, but late summer/early fall, I took it to the upper Housatonic thinking it might be a great pattern to fish for small mouth. I was right. It resulted in a half dozen ‘smallies’ and 1 trout. This fall it was one of my go to streamers. Ted says that he’s caught largemouth bass, rainbows, hickory shad and black seabass on it. All this from a pattern originally designed for stripers. It is a quintessential ‘cross over’ fly, great in fresh & salt water for a wide variety of species.
In the true sense of the word, this fly is a ‘Micro Clouser’. It’s very small and should be tied sparsely. It’s not an easy tie. Dubbing the body is not an easy task with the FTD SB Pearl. Also, the FTD materials are great, but if you don’t have them on-hand, try comparable colors of Senyo Lazer Dub. Don’t wonder off too much with alternative materials. The material composition of this fly make it a fish magnet.
To tie this fly begin by laying a
base of thread behind the eye to affix your Eyes. After making securing wraps, cut off the butt
end of your thread. The eyes should be
mounted approximately 2 ‘hook eye' lengths behind the eye. Use figure 8 wraps to secure them. Also wrap under and around the eyes. Add a drop of head cement or UV Resin (and
cure) to your thread wraps to increase durability.
Next, you’re going to dub the body of the fly with your FTD SB Pearl Dubbing. You may want to use a little dubbing wax to make this a little easier. With your dubbing noddle create the body from the bend of the hook to the eyes. Also, crisscross the eyes with your noodle. Invert your fly and prepare a sparse wing of Cream & White Bucktail. Lay your mix of Cream & White Bucktail on your tying table. Take a sparse amount of FTD SB Pearl Aura fibers and lay them on top of your Bucktail. Pick them up, align the Bucktail tips, and roll all the materials together in your fingers. Tie the prepared wing on in front of the eyes. They should extend approximately 2 hook shank lengths beyond the bend.
Prepare a sparse amount of Fly Tyers Dungeon BDG – AW Olive Dubbing to be aligned and tied in over the Bucktail wing. Finally, top this with 10-12 strands of Peacock Ripple Ice. You can also use Peacock Angle Hair as a substitute. Lock in all the wing materials with securing wraps behind the hook eye. Whip finish and apply a drop of head cement.
Trout Tornado has an excellent video on hos to tie this fly below:
If you have any questions about this
fly or would like to submit a Fly of The Month I can be reached at pdinice@frontier.com .
