# Fresh from the bench



## kingofamberley (Jul 11, 2012)

Tied up some Clousers last night. The buck tail variety pack turned out to be a good idea...








Looking at my Ohio fish ID guide, I came up with some color combinations:
Creek Chub:








"Rasta Darter" 








sort of a leach looking pattern:


----------



## burt (Aug 22, 2010)

They look good, if you really are getting into tying I have a sight where I get a lot of chenille, Buck tail and thread especially the thread at his price. I really like them and you usually get your orders in 3 bus, days. www.crazyanglertackle.com. Only thing I would suggest if your going to target hybrids is to use a little more thread to make sure things are secure cause man can they destroy a lure that has just been tied.


----------



## imalt (Apr 17, 2008)

They all look good. The only clouser I tie anymore is a chartreuse and white. I have decided that is the most productive color during the white bass and wiper run.


----------



## kingofamberley (Jul 11, 2012)

burt said:


> Only thing I would suggest if your going to target hybrids is to use a little more thread to make sure things are secure cause man can they destroy a lure that has just been tied.


Yeah I feel it. I put head cement on pretty much every time I put a layer of material on, and before I wrapped down the the thread head I put cement on underneath as well (a tip from a guy on another forum). The result is that the cement gets worked down in to the hair real well, and it makes the white thread appear clear-ish so the buck tail's color shines through in the head. They don't have large thread heads but I believe they are quite durable


----------



## kingofamberley (Jul 11, 2012)

imalt said:


> They all look good. The only clouser I tie anymore is a chartreuse and white. I have decided that is the most productive color during the white bass and wiper run.


That is what I've heard for sure. These are the first couple I tied, not as pretty as the others but they will still catch fish no doubt.


----------



## imalt (Apr 17, 2008)

I am by no means an expert. But it also seemed like the more sparse I tied them the better they worked. Went against what I would of thought but just what I noticed. And most of what I tie looks like straight crap so the fish must not be too picky about looks.


----------



## Flymaker (Jan 24, 2013)

They look god man.....now add some Ner Hair....and you'll really be amazed.....


----------



## TheCream (Mar 19, 2009)

Those dogs will hunt.


----------



## crkwader (Nov 7, 2008)

tie an orange over brown, hit the creeks and thank me later.


----------



## Flymaker (Jan 24, 2013)

Orange/yellow/copper crystal flash .......has been the best smallies fly Ive every fished on the stillwater......It even seems to out fish the chart/white.....Olive /white/peral crystal flash is good on the mad....as well as grey/white/peral.....


----------



## fallen513 (Jan 5, 2010)

Those all look great. Most peoples first clousers do not look that good, you are ahead of the curve.

Sparse is definitely the way to go...unfortunately hair is not as durable as you'd like. Short strikes & head shakes dismantle deer hair clousers after a few fish.

Still my all around #1 fly regardless.


----------



## kingofamberley (Jul 11, 2012)

Thanks for the encouraging words. I feel like these are more sparse than they appear in the pictures. My main concern is that they are a bit too long considering the short shank hook I used (Gamakatsu SC15's in size 1, recommended to me at the fly shop). I have read though that bass key in on the head so maybe this will not be an issue. I will resist tying more of these until I can test them out.


Outdoor Hub mobile, the outdoor information engine


----------



## kingofamberley (Jul 11, 2012)

Tied some more up last night on some longer, smaller hooks (TMC 300's, size 6) with some lighter bead chain eyes.


----------



## imalt (Apr 17, 2008)

I never have any luck with bead chain eyes for some reason. I see your going Fallen style with the fly's stuck in wine bottle corks. That's fancy.


----------



## kingofamberley (Jul 11, 2012)

imalt said:


> I see your going Fallen style with the fly's stuck in wine bottle corks. That's fancy.


Haha thats my ghetto fly drying rack; I just saved a handful of wine corks, and glued them to a small board. Gets the job done.


----------



## MIKE*A (Apr 12, 2009)

Lookin' good brutha! With the bead chains, make sure you test them out.....sometimes there isn't enough weight to invert the fly.....you wind up with a bucktail with your back/belly colors reversed.....as far as the wing length....you will have no problems w/largemouths or bigger smallies, but you will probably experience a few short strikes from smaller fish.....and I agree on tying sparser.....you have some great color combinations....the older I get, the sparser I tie....I think you get a little better action from the material and it gives it that semi-transparent look that many smaller baitfish have....Keep up the good work!

Mike


----------



## TheCream (Mar 19, 2009)

The bead chain Clousers are a great fly for sight fishing if you can spot bass. My 2nd biggest largemouth came on one in shallow water, pre-spawn. The fish followed another streamer in but refused to take and I could still see it just off shore over a weed bed. I tied on a black/white bead chain Clouser and they almost suspend in the water. Casted well past the fish, stripped it close and just let it "die" in front of the fish. She inhaled it on the slow drop. They are definitely worth carrying.


----------



## Flymaker (Jan 24, 2013)

I as well ty some with bead chain.....They work great when the smallies are chasing bait fish into the shallows.....they also work well in slower streams...


----------



## kingofamberley (Jul 11, 2012)

Thanks Mike! Someone on another forum suggested I try some bead chain eye clousers, as they have less of a jig action and more of a gliding action. I am a little concerned that they won't ride correctly; I should have just tied one, waited for it to dry, and tested it before I tied more, but I was on a roll! Good practice if nothing else. I figure if they don't ride like traditional clousers, they can probably be fished more like a jerk bait as you described Cream. I tied about 6 of them.


----------



## fallen513 (Jan 5, 2010)

My first three clousers, which I thought were extra badass...swam upside down. 

I was sad. 

Hundreds of clousers later...I still get the occasional one that goes belly up, usually due to use of a new material or style of hook.

Edit: 2x as much hair on top vs. bottom.


----------



## ledslinger (Aug 24, 2006)

kingofamberley said:


> Someone on another forum suggested I try some bead chain eye clousers, as they have less of a jig action and more of a gliding action. I am a little concerned that they won't ride correctly; .


another way of cutting back the jig action is to set the eyes farther away from the eye of the hook

a clouser that i make for stripers and false albacore has a pair of hackles tied in flat with the outside up between the bottom and top bunches of hair---they glide more and undulate and give the hair more action even when gliding (im generally not using bucktail as its too stiff)

as fallen has said---tie them sparse---they seem to work better


----------



## ARReflections (Jan 7, 2011)

I tend to be in favor of the bead chains versus the heavier eyes. I read somewhere that the bead chains produce more of a "sonic" / vibrational disturbance in the water. Whether this is true or not my catch ratio appears to be higher on flies with bead chain eyes versus the lead weighted ones. If I need the fly to sink more then I just switch to a sinking line. Sparse hair also seems to be the ticket as well, in my experience out on the water.

Anyone use arctic fox hair?


----------



## ledslinger (Aug 24, 2006)

ARReflections said:


> Anyone use arctic fox hair?


I use the Eumer dyed arctic fox (tail and body hair) which is distributed for use with all the tubes and heads for tubeflies. It moves really well but its a bit short for some of the flies over #4---ive been mixing in a bit of craft fur. I like it a lot for flatwing clousers. Colors are good for steelhead and saltwater.

The last time i went to my local shop, they said they might not be getting anymore from the distrubutors.


----------



## Riverbum (Jan 27, 2013)

Just tied these up tonight . What so you guys think ?






Come on stripers


Posted using Outdoor Hub Campfire


----------



## kingofamberley (Jul 11, 2012)

kingofamberley said:


> Tied some more up last night on some longer, smaller hooks (TMC 300's, size 6) with some lighter bead chain eyes.


Tried some of these out today in a creek, didn't catch anything but they rode beautifully and looked sexy in the water!


Outdoor Hub mobile, the outdoor information engine


----------



## ARReflections (Jan 7, 2011)

ledslinger said:


> I use the Eumer dyed arctic fox (tail and body hair) which is distributed for use with all the tubes and heads for tubeflies. It moves really well but its a bit short for some of the flies over #4---ive been mixing in a bit of craft fur. I like it a lot for flatwing clousers. Colors are good for steelhead and saltwater.
> 
> The last time i went to my local shop, they said they might not be getting anymore from the distrubutors.



I have heard it has good movement and works for gar too as in the teeth get caught in the hair like Velcro.


----------



## kingofamberley (Jul 11, 2012)

Here's the result of the first fly I tied, after getting slammed around for a couple hours  Yesterday turned in to several good hours of real-world-scenario casting practice, which I needed and resulted in getting my timing better








And here's one that speaks for the strength of Sally Hansens; the beadchain eyes got ripped off somehow on a snag, but the profile still looks good








Afterwords I practiced casting in a field for a good hour. I have gotten fairly good at casting my cheapo walmart rod. I think when I get a better one, it will make a world of difference!


----------



## burt (Aug 22, 2010)

I have had really good results with the loons hard head clear so far I have not ripped the bead chain or dumbbell heads off yet. I just moved into the UV epoxy a month or so ago, I have the solarez, clear cure gue, and just purchased the loons UV epoxy. So far I am really liking the ccg and will be field testing all the epoxies soon. Try the loons I think you will be happy with your results and it is oder less.


----------



## kingofamberley (Jul 11, 2012)

I didn't mean it as a bad thing  the Sally Hansen's held it together even though it got gutted somehow. But maybe your right and it isn't a good thing. When funds are more plentiful I will look at other options.


----------



## benjaminrogers (Jul 11, 2011)

I think the big thing to remember is that Hard as Hull or Hard as Nails are used as head cements where the epoxy is...well...epoxy. Much tougher and harder that head cement.


----------

