Mad River Outfitters: Craft Fur Minnr' by Pat Kelly

The Craft Fur Minnr' is a quick and easy to tie baitfish pattern. No real history or fun stories attached with this one. Just a no nonsense streamer that fishes on a floating line just as well as it does on an intermediate. You can very easily slip a tungsten bead onto the hook shank and along with the lead keel and you have a great little streamer that does really well in smaller water pocket picking with a floating line! Stick with a lead wire keel and spin a small clump of deer hair at the head and now you have a fun and super swimmy buoyant fly that fishes great on an intermediate line. This fly can be tied as small as 2.5" and as large as 5-6". Twist a few up and let us know how it works for you!

Step 1: Insert hook into vise and before starting thread attach some 0.025 lead wire and wrap 6-12 times down the bend of the hook. The number of wraps and size of lead wire can be adjusted to fly size and personal preference or objective. Once wire is in place lay a strip of UV Flex Resin to secure in place.

Step 2: With your thread directly above the barb tie in a sparse bunch of craft fur. It helps to lay a small dollop of Z-Ment on your thread base before securing the craft fur. This will bond the craft to the hook and prevent it from spinning. Ideally your tie in point will be just above the hook's barb forward to the end of the hooks point.

Step 3: Using the same tie in point as the craft fur lay down a small bundle of Ostrich Herl and tie in. This step can be skipped if you want but I find the Ostrich adds some really nice extra movement to the tail of this fly. If you want to layer in some flash to your tail now would be the time to do so.

Step 4: Select another bundle of craft fur. This time a little more than you used for the tail and about 20% shorter. Lay the material on top of the hook so that the tips are facing forward (you will reverse tie the material) make three loose capturing wraps and spread the material evenly around the hook. Secure the material the rest of the way and push material back over itself and bullet tie into place.

Step 5: Before proceeding forward I like to take a bundle of Ripple Ice Fiber and blend into the previous cone of craft fur.

Step 6: Advance thread directly in front of your bullet tie. Tie in the Spectrum Glimmer Chenille and wrap tight side by side wraps approximately half way up the remaining shank length.

Step 7: Directly in front of your last tie off point you will tie in a clump of Craft Fur in white on the bottom of the hook shank and a clump of grey olive Craft Fur on the top. These will be reverse tied just as before. You will want each piece to be approximately the same length as the previous cone of Craft Fur, just a little more material. By doing so you will help bring shape and taper to the fly. Once secure push back and bullet tie in place to secure.

Step 8: At this stage I will keep my thread where it is and add a generous clump of olive Ripple Ice Fiber. This will bring some flash into the fly but also add a nice darker shade and bring contrast to the fly....aka just looks a little cooler!

Step 9: Advance thread to just in front of your bullet tie. Center tie a clump of white Laser Dub on the bottom and do the same with a piece of olive Laser Dub for the top. Once both are in place, fold backwards and advance thread to just in front and build a small dam to help train the material rearwards.

Step 10: Repeat the previous step as before. This should bring you to right behind the eye of the hook when finished. Whip finish to secure thread and cut off.

Step 11: Take your favorite comb or brush and blend laser dub into the body of the fly. This will help bring the fly together and blend everything so the head and body seem as one. When finished, attach your favorite 3D eyes and coat with UV Flex resin.