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UNI Products Fly Tiers Corner

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WARMWATER

August 2026

Column and photos by Craig Riendeau

Sometimes as fly tyers we like to get fancy with our patterns. We add multiple layers of materials to build up bulk, build up heads for different actions or articulate the bodies to create movement. It’s fun as a tyer to see what we can make a fly do. Sometimes though, simple is better.

They’re usually referred to as guide patterns for their simplicity to tie and their expendability yet productivity. One of the best of these is the Clouser Deep Minnow. It’s basically a bucktail jig tied on a straight shank streamer hook. Bob Clouser tied this for river smallmouth bass fishing but since then it’s been found to catch everything that swims.

I discovered this pattern in the early 90s. As much as I loved it, where I lived there were vastly more lakes than rivers and found the bucktail too stiff to impart any movement in my preferred method of fly fishing, float and fly. Also, at the time I did a lot of fishing for panfish and wanted a smaller fly. That’s when I came up with the Mini Marabou Clouser, otherwise known as M & M (fish) Candy.

Originally, I tied it just like a Clouser Minnow, hook point up, dumbbell eyes set back from the hook eye of straight shank hook with dark marabou over a light marabou and some flash between them. This was on a size eight hook and about 1 ¼ inches in length.

This work OK but wouldn’t stay horizontal at rest under an indicator. That’s when I changed the design to using a 90-degree jig hook. To balance the fly even further, a medium bead chain eye was used to weight the No. 8 jig hook. This was tied ahead of the hook eye stem to add the weight in front of the fly counter balancing the rear. Now the pattern sat perfectly horizontal under the indicator at rest.

That was the start. I now tie M & M’s in sizes from a 3/4-inch, No.10 up to a 2-inch, No. 2 hook. I like to keep the marabou length extending less than a hook shank length past the bend. The shorter the marabou extends past the bend the less short strikes you get when fish are being fussy. A good rule of thumb is the marabou is a half hook shank longer with the flash a 1/4 inch beyond that. Try to tie the pattern sparse, only thickening as you up size the hook.

While the pattern can still be fished stripped, especially in tandem, I prefer float and fly. This pattern hung under an indicator will catch everything that swims, and I mean that literally. Even the smallest size will hook some incredibly large fish you probably weren’t expecting. With the indicator a strip, pause retrieve works great. Often, just letting the wind blow the indicator across a weed flat or rock bar does the job. I usually like to cast up wind or current and let it drift back to me. This is a finesse technique, not a cast and burn. It’s probably the most natural looking approach which is why I think it is so effective. Tie yourself up a few and give them a try, you may be surprised.

MATERIALS

Hook – 90-degree jig hook sizes No.10 to No. 2

Weight – Bead Chain Eye small, medium, large or extra large

or Dumbbell Eye weight size mini, extra small or small

Thread – UNI-Nylon 210 denier

Flash – Krystal Flash

Wings – Blood Quill Marabou

TYING INSTRUCTIONS

1. Put the hook in the vise and attach thread.
2. Attach dumbbell eye to front part of hook eye stem (outside the hook shank) making it even with the hook shank.
3. Wrap two to six pieces of Krystal Flash (depending on fly size) around the dumbbell eye and secure it to the hook shank directly behind the dumbbell eye. Do not trim at this point.
4. Take a light-colored blood quill marabou feather by the tip and measure out the appropriate length for your hook size. Strip out any barbs you think are making the feather too thick for your hook size.
5. Cut the feather to length and wet the cut end to help keep them together.
6. Place the cut end on the bottom side of the hook shank directly behind the dumbbell eye. Make a couple loose wraps to hold it in position then make tighter wraps to secure it in place. Try to keep the wraps within an 1/8” to ¼” from the dumbbell eye. Do not let the material wrap around the hook shank but remain on the bottom.
7. With a darker colored feather, repeat step 6 but on the top of the hook this time. Remember this fly rides point up.
8. Trim Krystal Flash 1/4 inch longer than marabou.