The pattern notebook · streamer
Brush Minnow
How do you tie a Brush Minnow?
Brush Minnow is a streamer fly pattern for tarpon, bass, redfish. Find its 10 materials and 28 tying steps below.
- Difficulty
- 2 of 5
- Target species
- tarpon, bass, redfish
Added to catalog · Updated
At the vise
Materials
- Hook: Gamakatsu SL12S #2
- Thread: Veevus 14/0 Power Thread, Black
- Tail: Hareline Extra Select Craft Fur, Black
- Body: Craft Fur, Black
- Flash: Fly Tyer's Dungeon Starburst Fibers, Metallic Red
- Flash: Silver Crystal Flash
- Eyes: Fish Skull Living Eyes, Ice 6.0mm
- Resin: Loctite Super Glue, Ultragel Control
- Resin: Solarez UV Cure Fly-Tie, Thin Hard Formula
- Resin: Solarez UV Cure Fly-Tie, Medium Viscosity
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Tying instructions
Secure the hook in the vise.
Start thread behind the hook eye and wrap back to the start of the hook bend.
Cut a section of Hareline Extra Select Craft Fur for the tail.
Clean the underfur from the tail section.
Measure the tail to be approximately two times the hook shank length.
Tie in the tail at the hook bend with a few tight wraps.
Tie the tail down with touching wraps up to just before the hook eye.
Cut off the excess tail material at an angle and clean up the section with thread wraps.
Bring the thread back down to the start of the tail.
Cut three strands of silver crystal flash and tie them in on top of the tail, extending just past the craft fur.
Pull the forward-facing strands of crystal flash rearward and tie them down on the other side of the tail.
Trim the crystal flash so it is even on both sides.
Tie in the dubbing brush on the side of the fly and bring the thread up to just behind the hook eye.
Wrap the brush up the hook shank with touching wraps, stroking the fibers back with each wrap.
Periodically, about every 4-5 wraps, use a stiff toothbrush to brush out what you have wrapped so far, forward and then rearward.
Continue wrapping and brushing out the wraps until you reach the hook eye.
Use a bodkin to separate some of the fibers and then capture the brush with two tight wraps.
Pull the brush back, ensuring that all the fibers are angling rearward, and then wrap back on top of the wire with a couple of wraps.
Cut the wire off close to the hook shank.
Make a few more wraps to cover the wire point and then whip finish the fly.
Brush out the fiber one last time.
Place a dot of gel-type super glue on each side of the whip finish.
Put the eyes on so they are just behind the hook eye.
Place a little thin viscosity resin between the eyes, ensuring it gets deep into the fiber, but not extending back too far.
Let it settle a bit before curing with a UV light.
Angle the fly down and turn your vise around.
Place a bit more of the thin viscosity resin on the underside in the same way, but make sure it goes over the front of the eyes for more security.
Cure it hard while spinning the fly to make sure it's coated evenly around the eyes.