What is a Clouser Minnow in Fly Fishing?

Series Summary

Modern fly fishing is centuries old, having begun in North England and Scotland; however, the history of fly fishing can be traced back over one thousand, eight hundred years to the now mysterious Astraeus River in the Roman Province of Macedonia. In the 2nd Century A.D., Marcus Aelianus described Macedonian fishermen's use of fastening feathers and wool to hooks to attract fish to their lines. Fly fisherman today continue the adventurous, yet relaxing sport of fly fishing in some of the most beautiful and tranquil places on earth, casting their flies in waterways of the Colorado Rockies, where all that is heard is the flowing stream and soft breeze in the Aspens. Would you like to learn how to fly fish and vacation in peaceful places, casting your line in clean mountain streams? Learn from a certified fishing guide.

The clouser minnow is an artificial fly that is fished under the water surface. It is a popularly used pattern for both freshwater and saltwater fishing and is generally recognized as one of the top patterns to have in any fly box. In this free video series, our expert will teach you how to make a clouser minnow with step-by-step instructions, beginning with the tools and materials needed. You'll learn how to secure the hook for attaching thread, how to prepare and attach bucktails, and how to make a fly fishing head. For bass and saltwater flats fishing, it doesn't get better than the clouser minnow for attracting fish.

Video Transcript

"ALVIN DEDEAUX: This fly I'm going to show you how to tie here is called the Clouser Minnow. It's one of the kinda classic all around bait fish patterns. You can tie it on a stainless steel hook and use it in saltwater for all types of saltwater fish, inshore fish, and offshore fish. It's also a great fly. You can tie it in smaller sizes with the traditional hook for freshwater fish, anything from bass to trout to pan fish to pike to just about anything that swims. Any fish that will eat another fish will more than likely eat the proper size and color Clouser Minnow. They're usually tied with the lighter color on the bottom, darker color on top, and some type of weighted eye that will make the hook ride point up. So if you're fishing down near the bottom, you'll less likely to have this hook hang up because the point of the hook is actually pointing up and not down toward the bottom."