Tying a Small Muddler Minnow with Davie McPhail

The original Muddler flies designed by Don Grapen have spawned 100s of variants that all share the clipped deer hair head and they catch fish all around the world.

The head is tied with natural deer hair and then clipped into shape. The Buoyant deer hair keeps the Muddler off the bottom, so it can be fished at all depths. The deer hair is hollow and the trapped air makes it buoyant. The muddler flies can be fished as a wake fly when the weather is dull which is usually late in the season when the sedges can be seen skating on the surface.

All of the materials needed to tie this fly are available from Glasgow Angling Centre as listed below, but as always, if you need any help finding materials or substitutes then we'll be happy to help. Time to tie a Small Muddler Minnow Fly, with the guidance of Davie McPhail.




Materials Used:
Hook: Fulling Mill Competition Heavyweight size 12 Thread: Uni-8/0 Tan Tail: Hen Pheasant Wing Quills Rib: Fine Gold Wire Body: Gold Tinsel Wing: Hen Pheasant Wing Quills Head and Collar: Roe Deer Hair

Additional materials: Additionally, Davie made use of Varnish, which he applied to the thread after completing the fly.

Davie's preferred type of whip finish tool can be found HERE!

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