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By Joe Branham




Sometimes, even fly fishers get tunnel vision and continue down that tunnel blinded by what is considered the norm where their flies are concerned. Maybe it is time to break out of the norm and see what happens.

A lot of us (fly fishers) diversify our fly fishing by fishing different types of waters. Well, common sense dictates that maybe we should diversify the flies that we use in our various fly fishing endeavors.

A point in case. If I mention the Clouser Minnow, what is the first thing that comes to mind? Undoubtedly saltwater fly fishing and bonefishing in particular. Would you believe that the Clouser Minnow was not originally designed for saltwater? It was designed by Bob Clouser for fly fishing for small mouth bass in the Susquehanna River. Surprised?? Look what happened - a fly was designed for warm water and has become one of, if not the best all around saltwater fly today. Lefty Kreh saw the potential for this fly in numerous fishing environments and the rest is history.

Lefty told me a while back that he was salmon fishing in Russia. He was catching more fish than the other fly fishers. He was using a Clouser Minnow. To date, at least the last that I know of, Lefty has caught over 50 different species of fish on the Clouser Minnow.

Lefty Kreh came up with the Deceiver for stripers in the Chesapeake Bay. This fly is the most well known saltwater fly around. It was designed to represent a baitfish. How many species of fish do you know of that do not, at some time or the other, feed on baitfish or minnows?

Some of the shrimp patterns can be used as a crayfish and vice versa.

If you plan on using a particular fly in a different environment, there are several things that you will have to take into consideration. You would not use a size 2/0 Deceiver when fishing for small fish although you might use that size if you are fishing for large mouth bass. A size 4 Clouser Minnow would not work very well for small trout.

You will need to tie the fly in the size(s) and color(s) that represent the food that the fish you are after eat. A pink shrimp pattern does not look like a crayfish but an olive one does.

There are numerous patterns that you use frequently that can be adapted to other areas of fly fishing.

Take the blinder off, look at what you have and where you will be fishing and see what you can come up with. This is one way that new patterns come about. Try something new!!

Good tying and have fun.