I like Clouser minnows, but don't like tying deer hair on small hooks. So after looking online and at fly catalogs.....I just sat down and tied a minnow look-alike with marabou. I only had two of these tied on the first HOT day I went fishing......(heat index 103).....I was catching 4 or 5 fish to my buddies one. So I gave him my SECOND fly and he started catching as many nice bream as me. WE put over 50 bream, mostly Sunfish, in the boat that afternoon. Later on I had a nice one break me off.......it is always a good idea to retie every once in a while when you are catching fish. So I finished the day fishing something else. NOW my buddy is catching 4 or 5 to MY one fish............Oh well. Since that day this fly has worked very well in the lake and the river. I have tied them in many colors.....but BLACK seems to be a favorite (at least with Sunfish). For rocky drop-offs and deeper water I have tied several on size 10 hooks with Medium bead-chain eyes. These work well also.....However they are a little harder to throw on a 2 or 3 weight.
Sooooooooo.......I am going to post the recipe here and pictures.....as soon as I can get them re-sized in photobucket.................Don S. in SC
01. On a size 12 wet nymph hook, put down an 8/0 thread base ( I used black thread no matter what color the fly )
02. Tie a piece of red ultra chenille on top of the hook from where the bead-chain eyes are going to be and let the other end hang out about 1/2 inch past the bend of the hook as a "teaser"
03. Figure -8 (size small) bead-chain eyes about 1/4 inch behind the hook eye.
04. Just behind the eyes, tie in 2 pieces of flash...wrap one side than fold-over and wrap the other side so you have two strands of flash tied to each side of the hook.
05. Select a piece of black marabou (just like you do for a wooley-bugger) and tie on top of the hook right behind the eyes.
06. Snip off the excess marabou right over the eyes as close as you can. Wrap over any remaining excess marabou over the neck and eyes.
07. Build up a nose and whip finish......cut off the four strands of flash just a little behind the longest part of the fly.
08. Put a little head-cement or CA glue on the nose and under the hook shank between the eyes.
And there you have it......To fish this fly....Make a delicate cast and let it sink for a few seconds (be ready, many strikes come about now..) Give it a 6 or 8 inch strip and then pause a few seconds and let it sink again......Most strikes happen when the fly is falling. This fly sinks very slowly.....so don't be in a hurry. When it is HOT or a little too much wind to fish the top, give this pattern a try. I believe you will like it...
In the last picture, the two flies on the left are the size 10's with medium bead-chain eyes...........(Lately have tied some size #6) The bass swallow them whole !!!!
.........In the forums, I refer to this fly as the "MM Minnow"..............Don S. in SC