Muddlers

[Trout Of Doubt]

I know how to tie muddlers, but what is the idea behind them? What's the big bushy head supposed to do with respect to the natural it's attached to?

[arkle]

I think you'll find they were "invented" by Dan Gapen to imitate bullhead's

[flyfishwithme]

And the idea has been incorporated into hundreds of fly patterns. 'mini' muddlers I find are great flies on stillwaters, especially Irish and Scottish loughs

[steve collyer]

I used to like fishing them on a floater with a split shot a couple of feet up the leader.
Having said that, I've also had fish on them when using foot-long, slow pulls down deep with a 2 second pause between pulls.

[The Squire]

A great all round fly for stillwater, I always found the mini versions, particularly based on a Wickhams a cracking pattern at the back end.

[Wee Jimmy]

Originally Posted by steve collyer

I used to like fishing them on a floater with a split shot a couple of feet up the leader.

Most unusual Steve....could you explain your reasoning behind doing this.

[seiont]

Originally Posted by idris

I know how to tie muddlers, but what is the idea behind them? What's the big bushy head supposed to do with respect to the natural it's attached to?

i find muddlers very good flies, the big deer hair heads makes a disturbance on the water and this attracts the trout, so i think the idea behind the bushy head is to create disturbance to attract the fishmy self

[steve collyer]

Originally Posted by Wee Jimmy

Most unusual Steve....could you explain your reasoning behind doing this.

If you fish the muddler on a floater like this, when you pull on the retrieve the naturally buoyant fly dives a little due to the shot up the leader.
It really can be quite an effective method.