Muddler Minnow.

[Cromie]

Hello, I tied a muddler minnow tonight and i was quite please with the results i got with my camera. I was doing a bit of experimenting so i used different quills for the tail and wing, I think those colours are grand. I do know that the oringinal pattern has molted hen or turkey quill slips but whatever.
I think the fly and picture is a cracker



This is the same fly but zoomed it a little more.

[midlander]

Very nice indeed Cromie, you're right to be proud of it. Many people find spinning Deer hair difficult although it looks like you've got it sorted. Experiment with different head shapes and sizes as they can make the fly behave in different ways.

[wesleybrown999]

It would do the business at my local Toft Newton

[Cromie]

Originally Posted by midlander

Very nice indeed Cromie, you're right to be proud of it. Many people find spinning Deer hair difficult although it looks like you've got it sorted. Experiment with different head shapes and sizes as they can make the fly behave in different ways.

Yeah, I have got it sorted, Lots of little secrets up my sleeve

[Joey1]

Brave effort Cromie, you've tried hard on that one, and that's all that counts. You'll have to try it out on a few sea trout up your way leathal on a dark night...

J.

[Cromie]

Joey how exactly do you fish a muddler minnow, Im not sure what way to fish them correctly and secondly i have never caught a fish on one. But threw my own eyes looking at the picture of my muddler minnow i can say, It would definatly catch fish.

[Willskip]

It looks good Cromie. Nice deer hair spinning.
Well done.
Bill

[Bloody Butcher]

Cromie

I'm not much of a sea trout man, and I tend to avoid stockies. The advise below is for wild brownies on lochs/stillwaters.

You generally fish a muddler minnow in the surface. It is neither a wet fly or a dry fly- think of it as a wake fly because this is exactly what it's intended for.
Fish it on a floating line in the same way you would with traditional loch patterns, irish bumbles etc.

So often with muddlers, the fish will 'fool around' with your fly; following it for ages and splashing at it without actually taking the fly.
Don't strike!!! When this happens (and it will!) let the fish hook itself then simply lift into it.

They work best in a wave but can be productive at the most unlikely of times, somethimes catching where all else fails. The muddler is one of the great enigmas of fly fishing lore.

Try tying them - as has been suggested - with different shaped heads. Big heads (like the one pictured) for big waves and smaller heads for smaller waves is a handy rule of thumb. Different colour combinations can also be handy. My most successful is black deer hair with a black wing and silver tinsel on the body.

One more bit of (very general) advice: Fish are usually simply 'on' or 'off' when it comes to muddlers. If they aren't working on the day, don't be averse to a quick change. If the fish are in the mood, then hang on to your shorts!!!!

Hope this helps

Alex

[Cromie]

Thanks very much for the info alex

[Bloody Butcher]

No problem Cromie

I think you'll have a heck of a lot of fun fishing these next season!

Alex