Woolly buggers, Haresear nymphs, clousers, para adams, just to name a few classic/proven patterns.

One I've just never had much luck on is the clouser minnow, particularly in freshwater. People talk about catching all kinds of species on it. Sure I've caught some guads, smallies, and it's good for SW. Also I like using tiny sparse clouser/charlie type flies for white bass runs too (but they're more of a charlie than a clouser).

But for larger sized clousers for most species, it's just not even remotely a go-to fly for me. In fact, I can't recall the last LM bass I caught on one. I use different baitfish patterns for that reason. Maybe I need to try them more regularly. Obviously it's the operator so I'm guessing it's the "confidence fly" theory.

In Freshwater I have had much better luck with synthetic materials and large bead chain eyes gives it a more neutral buoyancy.

I tie a 2/0 ~5 inch jig hook Clouser in a broad shad pattern that does well on Texoma schooling striped bass.

The few I tie for LMB are shorter broad BG patterns.
George





Tie a Spinster/Clouser version and it will make magic..


Here�s a couple of Dan Blanton�s Jig Hook Clousers


Here�s a baitfish pattern

I've never had a lot of luck with wooley buggers. I fished them some when I first started, but nymphs were catching better. Since then, I just don't tie or fish them. I never could get clousers to look right, so I quit tying them, too. I've never caught fish on either one. Doesn't break my heart, tho. LOL.

Kirk

I've never had luck with most topwater presentations for sunfish. Every article I read on flyfishing for sunfish says to have foam spiders handy. They don't work for me!

I like Balsa Poppers and Cat's Whiskers tied with a Fox wing.
On Central Texas Rivers that's about all I need unless I'm fishing strictly for Perch and then I'll add some Daves Red Squirrel rubber legs.

Jimbo

Those are really cool patterns, I have never gotten into the jig hook thing but....those are sexy I can see the advantage how they ride in the water and how they would turn and hook in a fishes mouth.

Ha. Foam spiders are the same for me! Never caught much on them either. A chenille spider works like crazy sometimes, but it's either all or nothing.

On a positive note, I do love black or olive Woolly Buggers and have caught all kinds of stuff on them. Jimbo, I agree on the Cat's Whisker for minnow patterns and what I use instead of small to medium clousers.

George,

Nice patterns.

On the Spinster, I have tied a few and am self-taught.

1) How do you mount the loop on the spinner to the hook?
2) Is the spinner one of the first steps or one of the last?
Bill

My success with foam spiders has been limited to A. wee hours, purple sky crack of dawn B. getting right up painfully close to cover and C. twisting the fly line in my fingers to impart that I'm-a-hapless-bug-on-it's-last-legs look. They can't resist that soon to expire look. Also, allow me to suggest using a dropper under your spider. It's usually about 80% dropper, 20% spider.
Anyway, just some thoughts.

Preast, to your original point, I've had much better luck with Clousers tied with Arctic Fox instead of bucktail. In fact, a chartreuse and white Foxee Clouser has been my go-to fly for stripers, smallies and all manner of exotics. I tie most of them with small, unpainted lead eyes and wrap the hook shank with pearl diamond braid. And don't skimp on the flash. If you look at Bob Clouser's original patterns, they have almost as much flash as bucktail in them.

I've never had much luck with the cast and wait patterns for sunfish. beetles, hoppers, etc. Could be because i'm impatient. I always catch way more on poppers, buggers, or clousers.

I think one of the reasons I like clousers is because you can get away with stripping them pretty aggressively in most cases. I would even say, if you can't fish it fast(relatively, I'll still bounce them along the bottom), you should probably be fishing something else. But I think there are people who still have a lot of success with them in slow presentations.

Bill, thanks for your question.
The Spinster was developed for striped bass on Lake Texoma in the early 90�s on idea based on an oversize �Roadrunner� jig lure when gear fishing at that time.

To answer your question, the spinner blade is attached to the swivel with a #0 or 00 split ring, depending in size of fly. The swivel is attached to hook shank first step by sliding over barb and keeping out of tying with a small scrap of foam.

Here�s a link that may help better understanding:
http://www.danblanton.com/blog/glazeners-spinster-story/
http://www.danblanton.com/blog/glazeners-spinster-tying-instructions/
http://www.danblanton.com/blog/glazeners-spinster-materials-list/

Obviously over the years many versions and materials have been used.

Jig Hook Clousers and Spinsters are my go-to Texoma striper flies.
Fish JH Clousers fast on schoolies and Spinsters slow on stop and drop presentation

Point of interest, I have just received an email giving a heads up on current issue of FlyTyer magazine that the Spinster was the �inspiration� for Henry Cowen�s Coyote fly....

Cheers,
George

George,

Thanks. I got some of the complete Coyote spinner rigs from Feather-Craft.

To date, I have tied the spinners after-the-fact to some Clousers that I had already completed. They seem to work OK, but they would probably be more durable if I had tied them on as a first step, as you indicated.

Bill

Bill, check Janns NetCraft for Spinster spinner rigs...blades, swivels and split rings at fraction of FeatherCraft.
The Spinster fly is based on the spinner blade component "system" that can be utilized on any streamer fly.
The Spinster fly was published a couple of years before Cowen's Coyote - interesting coincidence but Cowen and I have reconciled that issue.
I'm glad I don't have to sell flies for a living...
George