Theo’s Eel Skin Rattle Clouser
My friend, Theo Bakelaar, and I get a chance to fish for stripers and blues with our mutual friend Chuck Furimsky just prior to his International Fly Fishing Symposium in November (go here). The last time we fished, the weather was cold and windy, and fishing out on the ocean was not possible. We focused on the backbay, and found stripers under the bridge. They were willing—much more willing for Theo’s Eel Skin Rattle Clouser than for my regular Clouser. Three times more willing actually. He recently sent me these great photos for tying the fly—I’ll have them with me next month.
Tie in the eyes, an eel skin tail, and a piece of 30 pound monofilament. Although eel skin is the preferred material, one may use Bug Skin, or other leather material.
Add a belly of white buck tail–remember the fly will ride hook point up,
Invert the hook in the vise, and tie in some flash and the bucktail for the back–in this case, chartreuse bucktail.
Slip 3 or 4 beads on the mono, form an open loop under the hook, and tie off at the head. The beads not only rattle, but cause the fly to keel, hook point up.
A standard Clouser, an Eel Skin Clouser, and a Rattle Eel Skin Clouser.