Clouser Minnow - Sexy Shad

The clouser minnow is one of the most versatile and popular streamer patterns for both salt and fresh water. We will learn to tie this pattern in a very popular and effective crank bait color, the sexy shad. To view the video version of this tutorial, click the Clouser Minnow Sexy Shad Video link.

I like tying this on a size 2 hook, but it can be tied on hook sizes from 6 to 3/0. I am also using a 210 flat waxed thread for its strength and flatness when wrapping.

Start your thread near the eye of the hook and wrap roughly 1/3 down the hook shank.

Now we are adding a dumbbell eye to the hook. I like attaching it about 1/4 to 1/3 down the hook shank. For more tips on tying in dumbbell eyes, click here for the dumbbell eye tips video

Always add a drop of super glue to your eyes to hold them in place.

I like adding a few strands of 1/64th sized flashabou at this point. Attach in the center of the clump, and fold it over on itself and attach that side in as well. This will hold it in place very securely.

Trim and measure and prepare clump of white buck tail. You want this clump to be fairly thick, and about double the hook shank in length. For some helpful tips on preparing bucktail, click the buck tail tutorial link here. Wrap your bucktail in tightly,

then wrap over to the other side of the dumbbell eye and tie in about half way down the hook shank.

Bring your thread back to the front of the hook, and rotate your fly upside down in the vice, and we will add a few strands of gold crystal flash in the same manner as the flashabou. We will want the crystal flash to extend slightly further than our bucktail.

We will now measure and prepare a clump of yellow bucktail. Make sure this is only a few strands, we want this to be a thin strip. This time we want this to extend about 3 times the hook shank length.

Next is a clump of blue bucktail. This one will be a bit thicker then the yellow clump. This will also be about triple the hook shank in length.

Now build up a bit of a taper on the head of the fly, and smooth it out with careful wraps. Do your best to cover all the buck tail fibers. It helps to un-twist your thread counter clockwise. Then whip finish your fly carefully with a few wraps.

Instead of epoxy or head cement, I like adding UV curing resin to increase the flies duribility. Just place a drop of this stuff on the wraps, then spread it around the entire head with your bodkin.

The resin I am using today is made by solarez, and its their "thin hard" formula. This stuff is really thin, and penetrates the thread wraps wonderfully

It only takes a few seconds to cure with your UV curing light and cures cristal clear.

Shad have a large black dot in their body. So I like to take a black sharpie and draw a large dot on the fly. Make sure and get both sides.

And there we have it! A finished sexy shad clouser minnow. As with all clouser minnows, the dumbbell eyes give this fly a jigging action and help get it down to where the fish are.