Clouser vs Deceiver

[snafu]

I posted this on another forum to try and spark some conversation about it.

So I tie and throw a lot of clousers. Easy to tie and fish, I can very the pattern to make a "shrimp". But compared to a deceiver it's just not as pretty. I like the materials used in a deceiver especially the feather as a tail. I think it adds a lot of "body" to the fly and gives it a nice look. I generally prefer the clouser over the deceiver because it always swims hook point up. And I can fish it in a broad water column because of the lead eyes.

What about mixing the two patterns? Taking what I like of both and combining them. I'm sure someone has tried this, fly fishing has been around too long for me to be the first one to think of it.

Or is this some kind of atrocity in fly tying? Lol

[3spots]

I'd say go for it.

[tugboat]

Sept 22, 2015 19:22:46 GMT -5 snafu said:

I posted this on another forum to try and spark some conversation about it.

So I tie and throw a lot of clousers. Easy to tie and fish, I can very the pattern to make a "shrimp". But compared to a deceiver it's just not as pretty. I like the materials used in a deceiver especially the feather as a tail. I think it adds a lot of "body" to the fly and gives it a nice look. I generally prefer the clouser over the deceiver because it always swims hook point up. And I can fish it in a broad water column because of the lead eyes.

What about mixing the two patterns? Taking what I like of both and combining them. I'm sure someone has tried this, fly fishing has been around too long for me to be the first one to think of it.

Or is this some kind of atrocity in fly tying? Lol

Look up a pattern called a Half and Half. That's exactly the fly you just described. It was even joint promoted by Bob Clouser and Lefty Kreh.

One of the biggest reasons to tie your own flies is to experiment and create something of your own. Don't be afraid to tweak.

[snafu]

The half and half was kind of what I was thinking. I tied one, and even added a little red marabou as gills. Worked great, caught a fish in my first few casts. But I lost it getting hung up. It was a rough day. More hang ups then ever, and lost 6 flies! I'm going to keep tweaking my Clouser design.