Muddler Minnow Fly – Fly Recipe

Muddle Minnow

I first fished this fly on the Firehole in Yellowstone. It worked well on the trout that day. I have used it on both coasts. This is a fly that should be in everyone’s lineup. The muddler minnow was first tied by Don Gapen of Anoka, Minnesota in 1936, to imitate the sculpin. The muddler minnow can be fished on the surface as well as with weighted line down near the bottom. It is now a popular pattern world-wide and is just as good on salmon as trout.

The best hooks for this fly are:

Mustad # 9672, # 9671 or # 38941
Sizes: 2-4-6-8-10-12-14

Fly Dressing:

Thread: Black 6/0

Body: Gold tinsel – double wrapped

Tail: Mottled turkey quills

Wing: Gray squirrel tail with two mottled turkey wings tied in

Head: Deer hair tied and clipped tight. Leave some of the deer hair long to cape over the wing

If you like to tie flies look at our other pages of wet flies, dry flies, nymph flies and streamers for fly tying. These pages offer pictures of fly patterns and provide information regarding fly tying material and the fly recipe for tying on a fly with fly tying know how. These are great flies for fishing and should become part of your fly gear and added to your fly boxes.