Muddler Minnow

Waters West Fly Fishing Outfitters Verified independent store

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The Muddler Minnow has been catching trout since Don Gapen tied the original in the 1930s to imitate sculpins on the Nipigon River. On PNW rivers, sculpins are exactly the kind of forage cutthroat and summer steelhead key into, which makes the Muddler a natural fit for swinging through runs or stripping through pools. What makes this fly work is the spun deer hair head. Hollow deer hair is buoyant by nature, so an unweighted Muddler floats — useful in summer when you want to skate or wake it across the surface, or fish it like a drowned hopper in slower water. Add some weight or a sinking tip and that same fly rides just off the bottom doing a credible sculpin crawl. The turkey quill wing and squirrel underwing give it a mottled, natural profile that doesn't look overdressed in clear water. The Muddler just has a way of pulling up fish Available in sizes #6–#10. Show more