How hard/easy is the clouser minnow to tie?

[OttoDita]

Cause I found it hard!!!! No, impossible. My attempt, 5th or 6th, still turned out terrible

I'm not looking for total perfection. But something that looks half decent at least haha. I used deer tail, since I have no bucktail, and chain bead eyes, and I have no clear mono thread. But, I was looking for the nice, neat cone head. And the overall look with the top and bottom, which I didn't get. Not sure if it's my wraps, my proportions of hair. I dunno. I really wanna learn this pattern though

The good thing is, I didn't crowd the eye too much this tie like I usually do



Criticism, please!

Thanks,
Shane

[OttoDita]

Haha, it's hideous!

[billknepp]

Wheres the Krystal Flash?,Every CM's not complete unless it's got the KF!!! and these are like eating a Reese's....Theres just no wrong way to tye em...septin NOT having the flash!

[Sagittarius62]

Give these videos a gander. http://www.flyfisherman.com/ftb/bobclouser/ Straight from the horse's mouth. IMO it is not a hard fly to tie, and rejects(I have had alot of them) will still catch fish. That being said, there are some specific things that Bob shows in these videos that really will make a difference. Oh, by the way, you gotta have some flash. Even a little Christmas tinsel will do the job.

[billknepp]

Otto,

This is in regards to all your recent post's...not just this one...

You seem to be placing a lot on what you perceive in your own abilities in tying...lol..I just confused me self...lol

Anywho, If you are looking to really shorten your learning curve in tying...I can only suggest what I found to be the single greatest help for myself...and the best investment I've made toward tying my own flies...And that was purchasing A.K.Best's video "Tying Dry Flies" This video covers dries in steps and really hones in on proportions....And gives techniques that can be used in ALL aspects of tying .. Not just Dry flies....The way he shows to mount material on the hook works universally....I think you'll really enjoy this video.

[Big Bad Wulff]

Haha, it's hideous!

"I'm hideous"

-Kramer

[BigFlatBrook]

An experienced fly tier once told me that he ties all the same flies in any given session and throws away the first six.

I don't quite do that. But it takes a few flies to get the proportions down for me. Offhand, I think that clouser isn't that bad. But it will look more like the traditional clouser if you use bucktail, and (of course) flash.

The clouser is such a great creation. Very unlike anything that went before (as far as I know), simple to tie and effective. Hard to cast, though.

[tlerm]

No better way to learn the Clouser Minnnow than from Mr. Clouser himself.

Check out these two videos. They helped me immensely when I was learning.

Part 1
Part 2

My first few Clousers were dreadful. But these videos helped me improve quickly.

[tlerm]

Oops. I just realized that those may be the same videos that Sagittarius linked too.

[s1rGr1nG0]

Those videos are what I used to learn to tie a Clouser. I setup my vice on my PC desk and started the vids. I paused them when I needed to and eventually wound up with some nice flies. In fact, I need to sit down and tie some more up because we are heading down to the coast this weekend! Clousers are my "go to" fly in both fresh and saltwater!