Not to get to technical but there are two different patterns, the original Clouser Deepwater Minnow and the Bonefish Clouser. Both were designed by Bob Clouser, originally for catching smallmouth bass but they have proven themself to be one of the best fly patterns of all time, for virtually everything that swims. The Deepwater Minnow is typically tied larger with heavier lead barbell eyes while the Bonefish Clouser tends to be smaller and shorter with either bead chain or small lead eyes. To this day I am surprised how many guides I meet who still rank this fly as one of their favourites. I beleive that the original Deepwater Minnow was tied with bucktail and the Bonefish Clouser was tied with calftail. I now tie the Bonefish Clouser almost exclusively with Craft Fur and use a variety of long real and artifical hairs for the Deepwater Clouser. Since the space in my fly box is limited I am selective with the Clousers I carry. The colour combinations are almost infinite but I tend to stick with the tan and white. I carry a couple of large Deepwater Clousers along with two permit crabs in a separate bag in order to “plumb” any deep holes or edges I find on a flat. Then include two small sized Bonefish Clouser’s in my box. You can’t beat this fly as an all around general patterns striped along the bottom, kicking up sand every couple of strips. The Bonefish Clouser in smaller sizes (#6 – #8) doesn’t have a lot of flash to it and has a nice slim silhouette making it perfect for those situations where you’re fishing shallow water in an intimate environment. Bonefish Clouser Recipe: Hook: Mustad 34007, size #4, #6, #8 Thread: Tan Uni-Thread 6/0 Eyes: Silver bead chain or small lead eyes Underwing: White Craft Fur Middle wing: Pearl Krystal Flash Overwing: Tan Craft Fur Clouser Deepwater Minnow Hook: Mustad 34007, size #2, #4, #6 Thread: Tan Uni-Thread 6/0 Eyes: Lead dumbell eyes Underwing: White bucktail, Craft Fur or other long fiber Middle Wing: Pearl Crystal Flash Overwing: Tan bucktail, Craft Fur or other long fiber
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