Mini Clousers

[Rick Z]

Try using some krystal flash on very small sizes. Work well on panfish.

Rick

[FishnDave]

John makes a good point.
Craft fur WILL tangle after a few fish. Or sometimes it gets wrapped around the eyes of the fly. But I can just run my fingers over it to straighten it back out fairly well. The craft fur clousers hold up very well, I've caught in excess of 50 fish on a several individual ones I'm still using. Plus, its so quick and easy to make more, and the colors and combinations are considerable. The movement is awesome, and they just catch fish.

Try RickZ's suggestion on a few...another fellow I've run into a couple times in Sportsman's Warehouse told me he has been having very good luck with a "Panfish Charlie" using krystal flash...which would be very similar to a Clouser.

[Bluegill222]

Atticafish has a good point with the kip tail being a bit slippery. I use a lot more cement on the kip than I do other materials to make sure it stays put fish after fish. Should have said that before.

[Lake Erie High Ball]

Steve,

I have used squirrel tail and have been very pleased with the outcome. I have used calf tail with similar results but of the two, squirrel is my preference. The one material I haven’t see mentioned is marabou it has a great action maybe even better than the squirrel. I have even stripped the barbs off of duck breast feathers; they look awesome because of the natural colors.

Crystal flash when it is cut to length to a 14 size hook looses its natural wave or maybe I should say action so what I do to add a flash is use “Ice dub” and dub a thin body from the eyes back to the bend of the hook then tie in the hair / marabou.

I really need to start posting pictures. This is one of my favorites to tie.

[tlerm]

Steve,

I have used squirrel tail and have been very pleased with the outcome. I have used calf tail with similar results but of the two, squirrel is my preference. The one material I haven?t seem mentioned is marabou it has a great action maybe even better than the squirrel. I have even stripped the barbs off of duck breast feathers; they look awesome because of the natural colors.

Crystal flash when it is cut to length to a 14 size hook looses its natural wave or maybe I should say action so what I do to add a flash is use ?Ice dub? and dub a thin body from the eyes back to the bend of the hook then tie in the hair / marabou.

I really need to start posting pictures. This is on of my favorites to tie.

Oh yes, I definitely want to see what that looks like.

[mahanvey]

Well... everyone has to get in on this subject... I have found the absolute best for Texas bluegill to be white rabbit lower wing, with olive rabbit upper wing with one strand of white krystal flash tied in each wing... These are tied extremely sparse so they will get all the water action they can... I must admit I have not tried maribou because these work so well!

[culhanetyl]

my vote is for craft fur tied in by the tips with a few strands of k flash and mabe a small wire head around the eyes

[Gandolf]

Hi Steve,

Like Mayhanvey uses, and Bluegill 222 mentioned, I use rabbit fur for the little bitty Clousers. The rabbit has great movement, very similar to marabou, but lasts much better than marabou. The only draw back, is that most rabbit fur I find is fairly short, so you are limited to tying realatively small size Clouser. For up to size 10, however, the rabit seems fine.

I have dyed rabbit, and also use Zonker strips. Zonker strips are widely available, and are available in lots of colors at fairly reasonable prices.

Regards,

Gandolf

[chewydog]

Craft fur rocks.

[SteveW]

Everyone has some great ideas. Gandolf, I would sure like to see a pic your rabbit fur clouser. That sounds like a winner.

steve