crafty minnows

[Aaron Brown]

Been toying around with craft fur. Still working on making good dubbing brushes for the head, but so far the results look OK. Fairly simple tie. Tie it in white, and magic markers allow you to color it any way you’d like. I’ve made this one like a young rainbow (hoping steelhead may attack it), and also to mimic emerald shiners and shad.

Maribou for the tail, white sparkly chenille under body, craft fur top, and bottom, lite-brite ruby red dubbing for gills, and a dubbing brush of craft fur trimmed for the head. Superglue on some holograhic eyes, 3/16″. Hook’s a 1/0 daiichi 2720. Not putting the craft fur on the sides gives it a slim profile, and allows you to pick the lite-brite out to make gills and looks like an injured minnow. I cut the craft fur to make a more “fishy” shape as well. I tied one of these on yesterday and fished in our now un-frozen pond. They sink very slowly, and look like a wounded minnow in the water. I’m fairly pleased. A little more tweaking and I think it will be a little better.

Excuse the photo, I’ve been toying with Neal’s point-and-shoot tutorial. Still tweaking with that also..

[Ronnie Moore]

Good looking fly.

I have been playing with the craft fur dubbing brushes as well. Neal and his tube fly have inspired me to create some from all the EP fibers that I have laying around. Takes a little practice and some decent wire to get a nice brush.

[Neal Osborn]

That fly looks great Aaron.

[Aaron Brown]

Thanks, Neal and Ronnie. Thanks also for the “home studio” tips, quite helpful.

The craft fur really does hold its shape in the water. Now to see if they entice the fish!

[Author]

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