Striped Bass on the Fly, Part 3 - The Flies

This is the conclusion of our series of 3 columns about striped bass fishing.  We’ve only included three of the many great striper flies, but these three cover the basics and most fishing conditions. Tied in various styles, sizes and colors, this selection may be all we really need. The photo shows, from top to bottom, the Striper Popper, Clouser Minnow, and Lefty’s Deceiver, along with a penny for perspective.

Striper Popper

When striped bass are seen or heard feeding on or near the water’s surface, the Striper Popper is a great fly choice. It is fished on a floating line and can produce explosive takes that are the most exciting striper fishing possible. It's popping action is designed to make a noisy commotion to attract fish. The key to fishing the fly is to pop it along the surface with no pauses, but sometimes subtle pops work better than loud noisy ones.

The Popper is a great choice for night fishing because it’s surface wakes are highly visible, it can be heard by stripers, and it transmits vibrations that attract and excite them. It’s my first choice!

Clouser Minnow

For saltwater fishing, the Clouser Minnow is tied on a stainless steel saltwater hook. Heavy, metallic dumbbell eyes are affixed to the top of the hook shank, making the fly top-heavy so that it fishes with the hook point up, the reason for flipping the baitfish color scheme.In his book, The Orvis Fly-Tying Guide, Lyons Press, Guilford CT, 2001, author Tom Rosenbauer discusses the fly’s appeal, popularity, and versatility:

“The Clouser Minnow was designed to keep moving through the water no matter what the angler is doing. The rationale is that baitfish, when pursued by bigger fish, don’t stop to look at the scenery. When this fly hits the water it sinks quickly. When you start a retrieve, it swims through the water, but if you stop moving the fly, it keeps moving as it sinks deeper. The only time it stops is when it’s lying on the bottom or grabbed by a fish.”

“Although the Clouser Minnow is a superb baitfish imitation, I don’t believe its usefulness stops there. Tied with sparse, translucent materials it becomes a credible facsimile of a shrimp. Tied shorter and fuller, it may remind gamefish of a crab, as stripers often inhale a Clouser lying motionless on the bottom.”

“Although a floating line is not the best line to use with a Clouser, an advantage when using this fly is that you can switch from a surface popper to a Clouser and, letting the Clouser sink before you retrieve, get a wide range of depths without changing lines.”

“I’ve been surprised by the number of saltwater fisheries where a chartreuse-and- white Clouser is the most popular fly. From New England stripers to North Carolina Spanish mackerel to Gulf Coast seatrout, the fly most anglers start with is a Chartreuse Clouser. In sizes 4 and 6, it has even become a top bonefish fly in the Florida Keys and the Bahamas.”

Lefty’s Deceiver

Tom Rosenbauer’s book describes the Deceiver as being “a rough-and-tumble fly that should be tied full, meaty, and rugged. Don’t mince on materials...If it eats baitfish, it will eat Deceivers”

“The fly’s success is probably due to its baitfish-like shape and slinky action in the water. Like a baitfish that has been corralled by predators, the Deceiver stays close to the surface and hangs there, pulsing with life even if you’re barely moving the fly. I feel it’s a better fly when fish are actively feeding on bait or in shallow water, particularly at night. A weighted fly such as the Clouser Minnow will drop below the fish, and it is nearly impossible for a fish to see a fly at night when it’s not silhouetted against the night sky. Experienced guides also feels the Deceiver looks like a fleeing squid, which is a meal most gamefish find about as hard to resist as I do a plate of fried calamari.”

“First developed by Lefty Kreh in the 1960s for Chesapeake Bay stripers, this fly is the most universal saltwater fly. In sales and popularity among saltwater fly rodders, the only other fly that comes close is the Clouser Minnow (which Lefty also worked on with Bob Clouser).”

Most anglers agree that the three most useful Deceiver colors are all white, all black, and chartreuse. White is excellent, black shows best against a night sky, and chartreuse is highly visible for deep sinking line fishing.

Here are patterns for the three flies. We are advised to substitute style, material and colors in our quest for success. If you try striper fishing, good luck!

Striper Popper

Thread:                      UTC G.S.P. 50 Denier thread

Hook:                          Partridge CS42 Bomber hook, size 2

Tail:                             Two grizzly saddle hackles, splayed outward on each side,

                                    then 6 – 8 strands of fluorescent green Krystal Flash, then chartreuse bucktail tied full, collar style around the tail

Body:                          White deer body hair, clipped to popper shape, flat in front

Head:                         Thread finished with glossy head cement or 5-minute epoxy.

Clouser Minnow

Thread:                      UTC G.S.P. 50 Denier thread

Hook:                          Mustad 34011 stainless steel saltwater hook, size 1

Tail:                             None

Body:                          None

Eyes:                          Bronze dumbbell eyes tied to top of hook shank

Wing:                          White bucktail on top of hook shank, then, on the hook shank bottom, chartreuse bucktail & 8 - 10 strands of fluorescent green Krystal Flash

Head:                         Thread finished with thin, penetrating head cement, then 5-minute epoxy over head & eyes. Remember, this fly is designed to fish upside down.

Lefty’s Deceiver

Thread:                      UTC G.S.P. 50 Denier thread

Hook:                          Mustad 34011 stainless steel saltwater hook, size 1

Tail:                             8 or so saddle hackles, length 3-10 inches depending of desired fly size, then several strands of pearl Flashabou on each side

Body:                          Silver Diamond Braid

Wing:                          White bucktail above, below, and on sides of hook shank, longer than hook to prevent fouling of saddle hackles, then twelve or so strands of black Krystal Flash over top, extending almost to the tail end.

                                    Head: Black thread finished with glossy head cement, then 5-minute epoxy over head & eyes, then 5-minute epoxy for protection.

Please send comments and suggestions to slim@rivermagic.ca.

Please stay on the line …