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Tying the Muddler Minnow Fly

Muddler Minnow

Muddler Minnow. 

Muddler Minnow Fly Tying Recipe

HOOK: TMC 9395 #2-14
THREAD: 3/0 Monocord
TAIL: Matched Turkey Wing Quill Slips
BODY: Gold Tinsel or braid
UNDERWING: Tan Calf or Squirrel Tail
OVERWING: Matched Turkey Wing Quill Slips
HEAD AND COLLAR: Natural Deer Hair

Tying The Muddler

Tying The Muddler Step 1 of 15

Start the thread about a quarter shank back from the hook eye and wrap a thread base back to the bend.

Tying The Muddler Step 2 of 15

Match the tips of two turkey wing quill slips and measure them against the hook so they are about a third of a shank long.

Tying The Muddler Step 3 of 15

Tie the matched slips in at the bend of the hook using a pinch wrap. Wrap forward over the butt ends to the starting point and clip the excess.

Tying The Muddler Step 4 of 15

Tie in a piece of tinsel at the starting point.

Tying The Muddler Step 5 of 15

Wrap the tinsel back to the bend and forward again to the starting point. Tie it off and clip the excess.

Tying The Muddler Step 6 of 15

Cut and clean a small bunch of calf or squirrel tail. Measure the hair against the hook to it is about a shank length long and tie it in at the starting point. Clip the butt ends square and build a smooth thread base over the stubs.

Tying The Muddler Step 7 of 15

Match another pair or turkey wing quill slips and tie them in on top of the base of the calf hair so the tips reach to the end of the tail.

Tying The Muddler Step 8 of 15

Cut the butt ends of the turkey feathers and build a smooth base over the butts. Try to keep the front fourth of the hook shank clear of any materials as you do this. Once the wing is secured, build a smooth thread base to the hook eye and back to the base of the wing.

Tying The Muddler Step 9 of 15

Cut, clean and stack a large clump of deer hair and measure the tips so they extend to about the middle of the wing.

Tying The Muddler Step 10 of 15

Put three loose turns of thread around the hair bunch. Hold onto the tips of the hair.

Tying The Muddler Step 11 of 15

Pull the thread toward you and slightly back to spin the hair around the shank.

Tying The Muddler Step 12 of 15

Cut and clean another clump of hair. Cut the tips off the hair so you have just the butt ends. Lay the midpoint of this new bunch against the hook at the base of the first bunch.

Tying The Muddler Step 13 of 15

Put three loose turns around the hair around the hair as you did with the first bunch.

Tying The Muddler Step 14 of 15

Pull toward you and back to tighten the thread and spin the hair. Work the thread forward through the hair to the eye. Hold the hair back and whip finish the thread.

Tying The Muddler Step 15 of 15

Use a razor blade to trim the head into a conical shape as shown here. Be sure to leave a collar of natural tips at the rear of the head.

Finished Muddler

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