I grew up fishing and tying this fly ! This has worked many times for me when all else failed for 50 yr! Glad to see you’re reviving this great pattern for new tyers. I too am a left handed tyer, and appreciate your videos more so. Keep up the great videos Charlie !
Thanks Charlie, this is the first fly my Dad taught me how to tie 35 yrs ago or so. When I got it down I added some red dyed deer hair and called it the bloody muddler. I grew up in Wisconsin but I’ve caught fish on Clear Creek with the muddler😊
Beautifully proportioned muddler Charlie. I 've tied a few dozen that size and smaller. Trout crush it. It ain't no sipper nymph or dry like 80% of my boxes are filled with.The muddler transports me back a few decades to the late 1970s when I was hooked up with my wife in Jackson WY. I learned to fly fish on the Snake River south of the bridge to Wilson. Jack Dennis Sports was three blocks from our apt. I learned to tie the muddler from his first book. Got his autograph on it at a tying seminar held at Anglers Covey when the Brekke brothres owned it.
@0:21, I won first place at a tying competition in Somerset New Jersey at the big FF show there, many moons ago. The Muddler Minnow was one of the three flies we had to tie. Two of each were tied prior to the competition and to qualify for the finals. The third fly was tied in front of everyone, including the judges. The other two were the Ausable Wulff and I believe a Grouse Claret wet fly with the Turkey quill down wing which not many people know how to tie either. Jack Dennis was one of the judges and he liked my Ausable Wulff because I tied it bushy as western tyers do. I was living in the East Coast back then and bushy flies were not th3 norm.
Thank you so much. I agree with every sentiment, and I really appreciate the history. Bridging the IG and UA-cam crowd to the history that exists already!!!
Still fishing these in both this style and a conehead, marabou muddler. One of my favorite spring time streamers and I can throw them on a 4wt no problem. The unweighted version is awesome especially with a leech behind it. Thanks Charlie another awesome tie!
Old School beats ‘New Cool’ every time. I don’t know about you but I find myself humming “The king is in the all-together…..” in my best Danny Kaye imitation when I watch a lot of the stuff put out on Social Media. I’ve tried a few muddlers, time for a few more I think. #lifelonglearing😊
Nice one Charlie! I tie most of my "muddlers" modified to closely imitate the local long, slim darter minnows or short and fat to imitate Dragonfly nymphs. I always have a few true to pattern Muddlers tied with turkey quill, flat gold metal tinsel, squirrel underwing and a scruffy sparse head the way Don used to tie them.
Great looking fly thanks for sharing, really enjoyed watching you tie. Your videos and books have helped me alot in my tying. Looking forward to the next video.
Nice tie Charlie. Question for you. When you are tying in the collar do you tie onto where you have your top wing tied, or on the shank of the hook (that has a layer of thread on it? On the video it looks like it's tied on just in front of the wing tie in. Ron Penn
Was going through my old fly boxes last year and had a bunch of these I’d tied years ago weighted and not . Tied one on my 4wt trout spay rig and bingo they loved them . If you cover them with UV resin with a orange drop of fingernail polish on the head you will have a Perdimuddler , I hear there very effective through the ice on a euro rig for Burbot :-)
This is my number one “streamer” pattern by a significant long shot. I barely consider it to be a streamer, to be honest. In my part of the country, it imitates hoppers, large aquatics, small baitfish, moths, crickets, basically anything an opportunistic trout might be into. I tie a few variations of it (mostly small…size 14 and 16) with marabou, standard, with “calico” heads containing both bleached and natural deer hair. They’ve caught untold hundreds of trout for me. I’d go so far as to say that muddler fishing is *almost* its own category since they imitate so much. You can swing them, skip em across the surface, strip them like buggers, drift them like drowning moths. It’s just a stupendously effective pattern for woodland trout fishing.
Old School fly but still deadly fished unweighted and popped through a big wave on English Lakes and reservoirs. I often tie a muddler head on flies such as the Soldier Palmer,Zulu,Bibio,Kate McLaren.....all Old School....but absolutely deadly. Regards rom "Over the Pond. Robbie
How do you fish the Muddler? How do you get it down to where it belongs in the water column? Split shot? Sinking line?Sculpin scoot along the bottom from rock crevices to rock crevices.
Generally a sink tip line would be the best bet to keep it way down but I’ve often fished small mufflers behind a bigger, heavily weighted streamer on a floating line and can attest that fish will eat it anywhere in the water column.
Hey Charlie great tie - I try these but always have an issue with the turkey feather's splitting on the upper wing and go all wonkey on me. I end up just fishing them anyways - but any tips to keep the turkey together?
Better turkey, which I realize is hard to find, but really nice quills stay married much better than the usual stuff. And make sure you’re using WING quills, not tails.
First streamer I tied 30 + years ago . I had never fished a streamer… so I’d see a fish following the fly and I slowed my retrieve …. Of course the fish would lose interest ….. when I finally learned how to fish steamers …. The muddler was deadly …. It still is .
I never understood why people say "this fly still works" as if trout evolved to only finding new patterns worthy lol. Beautifully tied though. Looks like im gonna have to buy some materials thanks charlie 🙄
It kind of depends on how good you are at it. If you can go in and trim ahead with 4 to 6 nice clean swipes, you can probably get a dozen before you gotta change blades.
Nice, I use to fish these a lot in my youth. I never tied them as clean as you do, but it's a fishing fly they get chewed on and then they look well chewed on. As I recall Don came up with this fly for the Big Brook Trout they called runners, they are all but gone now. Thou I understand there is still a population of them on the Canadian side of the Great Lakes. I guess Brook Trout would be an evasive species in CO? It's my favorite trout and it's not even a trout. I should give it a real effort to master this one, just because as you say it's old and not fished much, so the modern trout will say I can eat that, it's not a wooly bugger! Been chilly for June here in CT. The Mountian Laurel is blooming which means Alder Caddis Fly it's a big one a # 10 or 12 last "Big Fly" of the season, soon it going to be beetles ants, hoppers, and really small stuff in the 22 to 26 range. Good video Charlie, I know it takes a lot of time and effort to do, and it's appreciated.
When I start tying there was no information about spinning deer hair. I tied these but never had much luck with them and discovered the wooly bugger so never gave the much of a chance. May have to try them weighted. Keep the classics coming. Check out Jonas Andersson from Sweden tying salmon style flies on UA-cam for expertise on married feather wings.
I grew up fishing and tying this fly ! This has worked many times for me when all else failed for 50 yr! Glad to see you’re reviving this great pattern for new tyers. I too am a left handed tyer, and appreciate your videos more so. Keep up the great videos Charlie !
Absolutely L-O-V-E that you are old-schooling the newbies and snowflakes! Keep it going!
Thanks Charlie, this is the first fly my Dad taught me how to tie 35 yrs ago or so. When I got it down I added some red dyed deer hair and called it the bloody muddler. I grew up in Wisconsin but I’ve caught fish on Clear Creek with the muddler😊
Charlie, that's a great pattern. Very effective in stillwater as well. We could trim these suckers all day...
Beautifully proportioned muddler Charlie. I 've tied a few dozen that size and smaller. Trout crush it. It ain't no sipper nymph or dry like 80% of my boxes are filled with.The muddler transports me back a few decades to the late 1970s when I was hooked up with my wife in Jackson WY. I learned to fly fish on the Snake River south of the bridge to Wilson. Jack Dennis Sports was three blocks from our apt. I learned to tie the muddler from his first book. Got his autograph on it at a tying seminar held at Anglers Covey when the Brekke brothres owned it.
Charlie, so nice to see you tie the muddler, a so clean! Guess I’m going to need some braid. 😂
@0:21, I won first place at a tying competition in Somerset New Jersey at the big FF show there, many moons ago. The Muddler Minnow was one of the three flies we had to tie. Two of each were tied prior to the competition and to qualify for the finals. The third fly was tied in front of everyone, including the judges. The other two were the Ausable Wulff and I believe a Grouse Claret wet fly with the Turkey quill down wing which not many people know how to tie either.
Jack Dennis was one of the judges and he liked my Ausable Wulff because I tied it bushy as western tyers do. I was living in the East Coast back then and bushy flies were not th3 norm.
Thank you so much. I agree with every sentiment, and I really appreciate the history. Bridging the IG and UA-cam crowd to the history that exists already!!!
One of the nicest I’ve seen in a long time.
Another spectacular few minutes with "Charlie".....never ceases to amaze me.
If i had just one fly in my flybox it would be this one!! My favorite to tie and fish... Good job man!!!
Still fishing these in both this style and a conehead, marabou muddler. One of my favorite spring time streamers and I can throw them on a 4wt no problem. The unweighted version is awesome especially with a leech behind it. Thanks Charlie another awesome tie!
Wow! Great tie of this classic. Thanks for sharing.
Old School beats ‘New Cool’ every time.
I don’t know about you but I find myself humming “The king is in the all-together…..” in my best Danny Kaye imitation when I watch a lot of the stuff put out on Social Media.
I’ve tried a few muddlers, time for a few more I think. #lifelonglearing😊
Thanks Don Gapen!!
Thanks Charlie’s fly Box!!
Most favorite fly!!!
Dan D.A.N. If you thank someone, try to get his name right.
Charlie Knocked it out the Park !!!
In addition to how well they work, they are cool looking flies.
Oh my God one of my favorite patterns EVER!!!
Tied by one of my favorite tyers ever!
😎👍🏻
Nice one Charlie! I tie most of my "muddlers" modified to closely imitate the local long, slim darter minnows or short and fat to imitate Dragonfly nymphs. I always have a few true to pattern Muddlers tied with turkey quill, flat gold metal tinsel, squirrel underwing and a scruffy sparse head the way Don used to tie them.
Fantastic work
Stellar tying and instruction, love it. I tie marabou "muddlers" that look hideous, lol. They do work from time to time on trout and smallmouth.
Nice. Don Gappen would be proud. I use a half hitch tool for the whip finish.
really great stuff, Charlie. Thanks for this.
Great looking fly thanks for sharing, really enjoyed watching you tie. Your videos and books have helped me alot in my tying. Looking forward to the next video.
Very nice. I usually mess up the first one or two then the next ones aren’t so bad. They work. I should use them more often. Thank you
Nicely done. My fishing mentors always fished these and killed it.
We fish these from size 10 to 6 via trout spey in Oregon. Shhhhh don’t tell anyone! Luv your work
Absolutely beautiful fly Charlie.
Nice tie Charlie. Question for you. When you are tying in the collar do you tie onto where you have your top wing tied, or on the shank of the hook (that has a layer of thread on it? On the video it looks like it's tied on just in front of the wing tie in.
Ron Penn
Yes, the collar is tied into the threaded shank just in front of the wing tiedown bump
@@CharliesFlyBox Thanks for the info. The 1st 3 I tied where on the wing tie down. I'm now ready to tye more.
Ron
Was going through my old fly boxes last year and had a bunch of these I’d tied years ago weighted and not . Tied one on my 4wt trout spay rig and bingo they loved them . If you cover them with UV resin with a orange drop of fingernail polish on the head you will have a Perdimuddler , I hear there very effective through the ice on a euro rig for Burbot :-)
😂
This is my number one “streamer” pattern by a significant long shot. I barely consider it to be a streamer, to be honest. In my part of the country, it imitates hoppers, large aquatics, small baitfish, moths, crickets, basically anything an opportunistic trout might be into. I tie a few variations of it (mostly small…size 14 and 16) with marabou, standard, with “calico” heads containing both bleached and natural deer hair. They’ve caught untold hundreds of trout for me. I’d go so far as to say that muddler fishing is *almost* its own category since they imitate so much. You can swing them, skip em across the surface, strip them like buggers, drift them like drowning moths. It’s just a stupendously effective pattern for woodland trout fishing.
Great fly
You got this man I'd use it
Great muddler
Old School fly but still deadly fished unweighted and popped through a big wave on English Lakes and reservoirs. I often tie a muddler head on flies such as the Soldier Palmer,Zulu,Bibio,Kate McLaren.....all Old School....but absolutely deadly. Regards rom "Over the Pond. Robbie
This is still a very popular fly over here in Norway🙂
How do you fish the Muddler? How do you get it down to where it belongs in the water column? Split shot? Sinking line?Sculpin scoot along the bottom from rock crevices to rock crevices.
Generally a sink tip line would be the best bet to keep it way down but I’ve often fished small mufflers behind a bigger, heavily weighted streamer on a floating line and can attest that fish will eat it anywhere in the water column.
Hey Charlie great tie - I try these but always have an issue with the turkey feather's splitting on the upper wing and go all wonkey on me. I end up just fishing them anyways - but any tips to keep the turkey together?
Better turkey, which I realize is hard to find, but really nice quills stay married much better than the usual stuff. And make sure you’re using WING quills, not tails.
Nice. Used size 8s and 10s , in Scotland, ginked up, for the great red sedge. Many moons ago
First streamer I tied 30 + years ago . I had never fished a streamer… so I’d see a fish following the fly and I slowed my retrieve …. Of course the fish would lose interest ….. when I finally learned how to fish steamers …. The muddler was deadly …. It still is .
I never understood why people say "this fly still works" as if trout evolved to only finding new patterns worthy lol. Beautifully tied though. Looks like im gonna have to buy some materials thanks charlie 🙄
Exactly!
How many heads can you trim with one razor blade? Thanks!
It kind of depends on how good you are at it. If you can go in and trim ahead with 4 to 6 nice clean swipes, you can probably get a dozen before you gotta change blades.
@@CharliesFlyBox thanks, I must have some really lousy blades!
Nice, I use to fish these a lot in my youth. I never tied them as clean as you do, but it's a fishing fly they get chewed on and then they look well chewed on. As I recall Don came up with this fly for the Big Brook Trout they called runners, they are all but gone now. Thou I understand there is still a population of them on the Canadian side of the Great Lakes. I guess Brook Trout would be an evasive species in CO? It's my favorite trout and it's not even a trout. I should give it a real effort to master this one, just because as you say it's old and not fished much, so the modern trout will say I can eat that, it's not a wooly bugger! Been chilly for June here in CT. The Mountian Laurel is blooming which means Alder Caddis Fly it's a big one a # 10 or 12 last "Big Fly" of the season, soon it going to be beetles ants, hoppers, and really small stuff in the 22 to 26 range. Good video Charlie, I know it takes a lot of time and effort to do, and it's appreciated.
When I start tying there was no information about spinning deer hair. I tied these but never had much luck with them and discovered the wooly bugger so never gave the much of a chance. May have to try them weighted. Keep the classics coming. Check out Jonas Andersson from Sweden tying salmon style flies on UA-cam for expertise on married feather wings.