Arctic Clouser
 
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  • Hook:  Mustad 9672, #6-10
  • Thread:  Danville's Prewaxed 6/0, olive
  • Eyes:  gold bead chain
  • Belly:  yellow Arctic fox fur
  • Wing:  gold Flashabou Accent or Krystal Flash, olive Arctic fox fur
  • Head (optional):  30-minute epoxy
This lighter, softer version of the Clouser is ideal for slow-moving rivers or stillwaters.  It's a great pattern for smallmouth and bream, but can be used for a wide variety of fish.  I have found olive/yellow to be the most productive for river smallies, but other colors are good as well.  Try tan and rusty versions, and you can't go wrong with all white, or white and gray.  Experiment with attractor colors like chartreuse or orange and various flash colors. 

NOTE:  Arctic fox body fur is fine for #10 flies, but for the larger sizes, use Arctic fox tail, which is quite a bit longer.  Use very sparse bundles... it's easy to overdo it with this material.  You want to maintain a slender, minnow-like profile.  The Arctic fox will puff up a little in the water and fill out the body, so keep this in mind.

 

1)  Secure the beadchain eyes to top of shank about two hook-eye widths behind eye.  To do this, wind the thread diagonally across the eyes and around the shank three times, first one way, then the other (creating an "x" with the thread).  Then wind the thread horizontally between the hook shank and the eyes, tightening and closing the criss-crossed wraps.  Do this a second time and apply lacquer to the wraps.

2)  Bring the thread in front of the eyes.  Clip a thin bundle of yellow Arctic fox and trim the butt ends so the fur is about two time the length of the hook.  Tie this bundle in by the last 1/16 inch or so of the butt ends in front of the eyes with three or four wraps of thread.  Bring the thread behind the eyes, stroke back the fur to straighten and tighten it, nestling it between the eyes, then take a couple wraps of thread to bind it down to the hook shank.  Holding the fur bundle tight and slightly raised, take five open spiral wraps back toward the bend... keep the wraps evenly spaced.  Take three tight turns of thread then reverse and spiral it forward, crossing the previous wraps to form evenly spaced x's on top (this gives a slight illusion of a scale pattern).  Take two tight turns of thread just behind the eyes, and repeat the spiral wrap back and forward again, going right over the previous wraps.  Bring the thread in front of the eyes, and lacquer the entire spiral-wrapped section.

3)  Turn the fly over in the vise so the hook point is up.  Fold two strands of gold Flashabou Accent over the tying thread and slide up to the hook shank.  In front of the beadchain eyes, take three turns of thread rearward to bind it down and trim the ends so they are about a hook gap shorter than the belly fur.

4)  Clip a bundle of olive Arctic fox that is slightly thicker than that used for the belly.  Tie this bundle in so the tips are even with or very slightly longer the belly fur.  Trim any excess and cover any exposed ends with the thread.  Build up a tapered "nose" and whip finish the tying thread.  Clip, then cement the wraps.

5)  To make the fly more durable, use 30-minute epoxy around the head area.  Cover the "nose" section, between the eyes and around them (with getting epoxy on the wing), and just behind the eyes.  Be very careful with the epoxy as the fox fur will soak up a lot of it very quickly if it touches it.

 

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This site was last updated 03/10/05