FLASHY CLOUSER

Courtesy of FlashBack Max

If you don‘t have at least some type of clouser minnow in your fly box at all times, you’re short changing yourself. Large, small, sparse, full; all types of clousers have been developed to appeal to all types of fish. This fly combines two of my favorite styles of flies, flash flies and clousers. Already proven in lower Kenai Peninsula waters like Deep Creek and the Anchor River for silvers, this fly is sure to work jus about anywhere else. Be sure to experiment with sizes and different colors of flash. If you know fish like green flash on a traditional flash fly, make the topping out of green holographic flashabou. Good luck!!!

 

Materials List

Hook: I’m using a 3/0 eagle claw billy pate saltwater hook
Thread: I used tan monocord, however use whatever color matches the top flash best
Eye: 7/32 black brass dumbbell
Middle bottom flash: pearl flashabou
Bottom flash: silver flashabou
Hair: Pink foxtail
Middle top flash: silver holographic flashabou Top flash: silver flashabou

Lets Ti’er up!

Step 1

Insert the hook into the vise and coat a small section a short distance back from the eye with thread. Set the eye onto the shank and wrap a few times over the middle to temporarily secure it.

Step 2

With your finger, push the eye straight and place several wraps over it till it stays somewhat even.

Step 3

Move the thread in a figure eight pattern around the eye securing it in place. Once you have done this a reasonable number of times, place a drop or two of glue on the wraps and let it soak in. Then turn the fly over in the vice and do the same thing. This will make the thread wrap oppositely of the figure eights you did before locking them down. Once again, add a little cement.

Step 4

Right in front of the eye, lay in a section of pearl flashabou. Make sure it is long enough and tied in the middle. You’ll see why in the next step.

Step 5

Fold the forward half of the flashabou over and secure it with several wraps of thread. It should look like the fly has a way cool mohawk when you’re done.

Step 6

Collect the flash with your fingers and force it to lay back over the hook. Secure it with several wraps.

Step 7

Move the thread back to the front and tie in a section on silver flashabou

Step 8

Fold the flashabou over and secure it in the same place you did the other.

Step 9

This step is not entirely necessary, however it helps the fly to stay full and “fluffy” looking in the water. Take a section of hair, I’m using pink fox hair cause it’s in the right range of color and I like how it behaves in the water; tie the fox hair in.
Then clip off the tag sticking forward.

Step 10

Right over the tie in point of the fox, tie in a good portion of the silver holographic flashabou. However, do it in the manor we did with the pearl. Place the flash at the tie in point so it’s about half sticking forward, half sticking aft. Wrap a bunch of times, then pull the forward sticking portion back over the fly. This technique helps to eliminate the flash pulling out from under the thread, which is a good possibility cause the flash is slippery.

Step 11

Comb the holo-flash back evenly on both sides of the hook.

Step 12

Take another section of the silver flash and tie it in as we did in step 10.

Step 13

Make sure everything is well bound with thread, build a nice head, lay down a decent amount of glue, and whip-finish the fly. A little more glue on top is never a bad thing in my estimation.

The fly is finished!

Seriously, experiment!!! When certain types of flash “mix” together you can create some truly cool effects.
I love the way pearl and holo-silver look together.
Who knows what you might be able to create?