Fishing Flies: Muddlers Made Easy

It would be hard to think of a fly pattern that is more versatile than the Muddler Minnow. Most of that utility, of course, comes from the fact that spun deer hair can be crafted to produce almost any profile of any prey that fish eat, from frogs and crabs to caddisflies and sculpins.
But it’s also no secret that spinning deer hair is considered a secondary skill by most fly tiers. It’s enough unlike other skills in fly tying that many of us never try it, which is a shame because it is both easy and rewarding. This week on MidCurrent John Likakis gives us a head start on deer hair flies and the Muddler in particular. In “Muddlers Made Easy,” he tells what to look for in materials and how to tie both basic and streamer-style versions of this classic fly.