[GeorgeMcFly]

got lots of colors of bucktail! started making these today. what ya think? any other great colors to make? I made a few of each color and they are all size 10 streamer hooks and 2 inches long like the smallies like um! have caught small on the red/white and olive/white will try the others. I hear blue/white and orange/brown is good too.

[GeorgeMcFly]

more! I am gonna try to make some different kinds also in the coming days like small rainbow trout or lil gills or whatever.

[BigCliff]

The proportions of your clousers look pretty perfect, but try leaving the flash in the middle longer than the bucktail. It adds an effect that imitates a tail movement pretty well.

I've probably caught more fish on chartruese and white than anything else. I generally use the ghost grey KF in the middle. Occasionally I'll use the glow-in-the-dark flash instead. Even in fairly bright conditions, it puts off a glow once deep that I think helps.

Another favorite of mine is grey and white with black KF on top (hook point side) and light blue flash in the middle. Does a pretty good job of looking like a baby striper or other grey minnow.

Yet another favorite is ginger and white with copper KF on top and the pearl tan in the middle. Tends to look like a baby redfish or golden shiner.

All black clousers are reputed to work VERY well in dirty water. I need to try them more often.

[GeorgeMcFly]

thanks cliff for the info and comments i will leave it longer from now on.. I always thought maybe the hook was too small but came to learn the bass swallows this minnow whole so it don't matter much. I have bigger hooks but used those for the bunny leeches I posted. I hope to have a great day tomorrow. keep ya posted. I have black so i was thinking of making black/white and a couple others like black/red and so forth within a few days. I will try what i got now but it sucks cayse everytime I make a clouser with white bucktail and thread on these diiachis hooks theres rust color added to the white after it drys out.. does this matter? will they still work? I been cutting them down and remaking the ones that aren't to rusty. p's me off. maybe i should dry um out better before i change um and toss um in the box

[liv2fish]

I would say the rust doesn't matter that much. Although they don't look as nice (to the tier/viewer), I can't believe they still wouldn't catch fish. It may give them the impression of a wounded baitfish (who knows??). I def. wouldn't strip them down and reuse the hook. I've found that some totally mangled/disfigured/discolored flies continue to produce fish even though they don't exactly look like they did when I started the day. I would def. recommend getting them almost completely dry before tucking them away for a while. If the rust is so bad you think the integrity of the hook is compromised I would def. toss it or give it away. Otherwise just keep a little sharpening stone around to keep the points rust free and sharp. Good looking clousers, I always loved blue and white for bass. I would tie some solid color ones as well for varying clarity levels (white, chartruse (spelling?), and black). Don't feel limited to two-tone clousers either. I'll throw a little red up front like bleeding gills on most of my big streamer patterns.

[BigCliff]

Hook size on clousers is a bit tricky- too big and the eyes may not be heavy enough to make it ride right, too small and the hook is less likely to catch in the fish's mouth. Length is still another issue. I generally tie mine on Mustad 34007's, in size 6, which isn't even a streamer hook. I generally use bead chain eyes, but a size larger than what is "normal". (I also recommend seeking out the stainless or brass beadchain eyes, single best way to reduce your clouser rusting problem)

Yours look fine, but I wouldn't go any smaller with that much bucktail on them.

[Frank Whiton]

Hi GerogeMcFly,

Cliff's suggestion about the flash being longer than the Bucktail is right on. That is how Bob Clouser recommends you tie them.

Frank

[GeorgeMcFly]

I will do that for now on. thanks for the tip. I caught a small rock bass on the brown/orange today and stupid me missed a nice smallie that tried to attack it also! my buddy caught 2 smallies tho. we laughed cause I made all the colors up and after all that he had made a fly that he caught both his smallies on and it was just pearl krsytal flash wrapped up the shank with one wing of white bucktail and dumbell eyes!! after all that I guess plain white works too!! duh. I should just be basic but noooo I have to have every color! lol.

[GeorgeMcFly]

just read this! thought I would share it. I was fishing wrong! I was steady stripping or soemtimes strip pausing but never like he describes! I will have to try this out for sure!

"Bob Clouser developed a particular stripping method for fishing with this fly called the Susquehanna Strip. This technique, as described in his book, accelerates and pauses the fly during the retrieve so that when stripped back, it darts like a fleeing baitfish. With this technique, strikes increase tenfold over a steady stripping retrieve. Cast, and when the fly hits the water, drop the rod tip down to 6 inches from the water and make a long strip of 3 to 4 feet. As you start the strip, bring your arm back along your side. When your hand reaches your leg, quickly turn your thumb rearward to accelerate the strip. Ending the strip with a speed-up-and-stop portrays the erratic escaping movements of a scared baitfish. The quick acceleration frees the fly from the leader. The fly stops and turns down because of the weight of the metallic eyes. The strike comes on that drop"

[FlyGal]

They also describe that stripping method for the salt as the drop or fall back stripping...

Cliff, the all black with no flash has been ultra successful - give it a go.

Nice Job Mcfly!!! Those are nice flies.