Muddler Minnow

Hook: 2-12 TMC 5263

Thread: 3/0, Black

Tail/Hackle: Mottled Turkey Wing

Weight: Optional

Body: Flat gold tinsel (oval tinsel is weighted).

Underwing: Red Squirrel

Wing: Mottled Turkey, matched

Head: Deer Hair

URL for history and more information about this fly and the author.

The Muddler Minnow is a highly variable pattern that should be a standard streamer in anyone's flybox. They can be weighted or not weighted, dark or light wings or tails, and have differing lengths of the head collars that simulates pectoral fins. The below pattern was tied on a size 8 hook.

Method for the Muddler Minnow

*** If tying your Muddler weighted, wrap on weight first then proceed.

THE TYING TECHNIQUE
(Illustrated recipe by Moose Peterson, courtesy of Fly Anglers Online)

1. Flatten barb if tying barbless, place hook in vice and start thread ¼ shank length behind the eye.

2. Attach the tail with a couple of wraps. Select the turkey segment with care, looking for a great "curve" to the section. The length of the tail is up to personal choice.

3. Tie in the tinsel with a couple of wraps and then wrap thread forward (e.g: size 10 Mylar). Next wrap the tinsel forward, overwrapping the previous wrap by ½ the width of the tinsel. Tie off.

4. At the tie off point, create a thread hump using a couple extra thread wraps to push up the squirrel tail underwing.

5. Select a section of squirrel tail approximately twice the thickness of the hook shank. Cut fur off the tail, comb out and attach to shank. Tie the tail in between the hump and the eye of the hook to make sure the underwing has a rise to it. Make sure your wraps are tight! Trim off as cleanly as possible. Add a drop of head cement to the underwing wraps.

6. Take care in selecting two matching turkey segments from two opposite wing quills. The width of the segment can vary from ¼ to three eights inch, depending on fly size. Align the two turkey wing segments so their tips match. Test the of these wings prior to attaching them. Wing length should reach approximately ½ the length of the tail. Once the length is determined, tie the wings on so they are attached to the top of the hook shank and not the side. Tie down with a couple of wraps, trim and finish with a couple of wraps. Add a drop of head to fix in place.

7 & 8. Wrap in your first deer hair bundle - make three or four wraps around the bundle, pull thread tight, and spin hair around the shank. Push the hair bundle back on the hook shank against the wing as tight as possible in preparation for the next hair bundle.

8. Following step 7, tie in two more hair bundles. The number of hair bundles tied in is determined by hook size. A size 8 hook should have 3 bundles tied on. Once hair bundles are attached, bring the thread forward, create the head and tie it off.

9. Take some time to trim the deer hair head to get a nice shape. Try to spin the fly in a rotary vise and slowly trim off the hair, taking a little off at a time, shortening the hair with each rotation.

10. When down to the nearly finished head, take a look at the shape and make any final cuts. Go Fish!

10. Take a look at the shape and make some final trims, Go Fish it!