Chesapeake Bay
Twists on the traditional: Chesapeake Bay and Potomac River Flies
After fishing the waters of the Chesapeake Bay and Lower Potomac River for over 20 years I’ve found that I keep coming back to just a few favorite fly patterns that consistently work for a number of species. My boatbox consists of variations in size and style on these favorites. My favorite local flies can be purchased here in Southern Maryland at the Tackle Box (somdtaklebox.com) in Lexington Park Maryland or at Alltackle (alltackle.com) in Annapolis Maryland. Currently, I sell more traditional fly patterns, hand-tied mostly with natural fibers, that are quite effective in catching many of the local species. They are versions of Bob Clouser’s Deep Water Minnow and Lefty Kreh’s Deceiver. These legendary fishermen got it right and their fly patterns have stood the test of time. If you combine the patterns into the Half-and-Half you can use the attributes of both to your advantage. The versions that I tie follow some general themes. They are made to be seen by the fish in that they will contrast against the background water, which in the Chesapeake, is not often very clear. Within the fly design, however, high contrast is avoided so I try to emulate natural graduation in colors/shades. I often do this vertically and lengthwise in the fly.
The Clouser Deep Water Minnow
This in my opinion is the most versatile saltwater fly design, period dot. It is especially good here in southern Maryland. Designed by the legendary Bob Clouser back in 1987, it is still arguably the go-to fly today and many successful variations on this design are used for anything from red drum to bonefish. Often times I leave the dock with only two different Clouser patterns in my fly box. I like the clouser minnow design for four reasons:
- It is one of the most productive flies for multiple species. My buddies and I have been fishing for striped bass and picked up flounder, bluefish, sea trout, red drum, white perch, croaker, and even catfish on it. We recently got Spanish Mackerel on an anchovy pattern of the design.
- It is extremely flexible in its application in that its weighted head allows it to be very effectively jigged, imitating wounded bait, or stripped so that it imitates heathy fleeing bait. To enhance the flexibility of this design we always tie it to the tippet with a loop knot.
- Its hook-oriented-up design makes it less prone to fouling the bottom and allows it to be worked close to the bottom where fish are often feeding. For long versions of the fly, especially with synthetic materials you can add a weed guard to avoid fouling the fly’s material around the hook during casting. This also helps make this fly even more weed-less.
- It is super easy to tie, so if you are fishing a lot, or fishing for blues which can savage flies quickly, you can whip out a couple of your favorite patterns the night before without too much effort.
Lefty’s Deceiver
Lefty’s Deceiver
Lefty’s Deceiver
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One of the great saltwater designs, originally developed by Lefty Kreh in the 1950s, this fly still produces. I love to use it to imitate the larger flat-sided baitfish like the Menhaden, shad and herring. I think this pattern is a great pattern still for several reasons.
- The concept of tying the saddle hackle on back toward the bend of the hook keeps this fly from fouling like many of the newer synthetic designs are prone to do.
- The flotation afforded by the bucktail on the top of the fly also helps orient it upright, where some of the modern synthetics suffer.
- The natural fibers in the fly are not prone to soak up water as much as some modern synthetics, so when you tie large versions of this fly you can still pick it up off the water for setting up your back-cast.
- This fly works good when you want to work just under the surface with a retrieve that you can vary from slow or fast. If you need to get it down lower then it works well with an intermediate sink tip or full sink tip line. We generally tie it on to the tippet straight with a clinch knot for stripping straight.
- All of my deceivers share one big modern innovation over the original design in that I place the eyes of the fly on the body in a more natural place based on the bait being imitated, whereas the original design had the eye painted on the thread head of the fly. To make the eyes robust enough to hang on after fishing, I first use ZAP goo to mount them (similar to how Enrico Puglisi does on many of his larger fies). Then I use the modern UV adhesive finish to better fix them to the body and link them to the thread head of the fly. The adhesive does add some weight to the front of the fly so if you wish to jig it you can tie it on to the tippet with a loop not.
The Half and Half
Lefty’s Deceiver
Lefty’s Deceiver
The Half and Half is a Bob Clouser design in concert with his good buddy Lefty Kreh. It is a combination of the Clouser Minnow and Lefty’s deceiver, and is one of my favorite flies. If I had to pick one pattern for fishing for striped bass it would be this fly. This fly pattern is my go-to fly for the larger striped bass in the fall when they tend to move into the main stems of the rivers like the Potomac. At this time of year warmer water may be found in the lower water column and you have to have a big heavy fly with a big body to get the fishes attention at depth. Fish it like the Clouser Minnow and you are in business.
Gold Standard
This Clouser Minnow design is my year-round go-to design. I first saw the color combination in a fly that one of my old buddies was throwing when fishing the Honga River a couple years ago. I borrowed one from him and found that it was the most effective fly I used that day. This fly tracks with my concept of gradual color and shade within the fly in that the chartereuse and yellow colors go well together. Additionally, it graduates from head-to-tail with a light chartreuse head, slightly darker chartreuse body then tapers down to gold Krystal flash tail which almost takes a copperish tint in the water. This fly works great in brown or green water, deeper depths, and low light conditions.
A variation that Bob Clouser uses himself is yellow over charteuese. Who can argue with the man.
#1/0 Hook: Gamakatsu SS15 or Mustad 34007-22
Thread: Chartreuse 3/0, 220 denier by Uni-Thread
Eye: MED Double Pupil Lead eyes- chartreuse/white by Hareline
Body: Yellow Bucktail over Chartreuse Bucktail
Flash: Gold Krystal flash
Tiderunner
This Clouser Minnow design came from an encounter some years back when we were jigging weakfish and happened to hook a monster bull red drum that was evidently feeding on the smaller weakfish. The graduation of lavender to pink to white bucktail is intended to emulate the juvenile weakfish or other similarly colored baitfish. After several different types of flash I struck on the pink crystal flash as the most compatible with this colored fly. Sometimes I throw in DNA Holo flash for additional sparkle. This fly has taken some of the larger stripers we’ve caught and done it when nothing else seemed to be working. Start with this one for tying a Half and Half. I like to use it for shallow water or clear water, or bright light.
#1/0 Hook: Gamakatsu SS15 or Mustad 34007-22
Thread: Grey 3/0, 220 denier by Danville
Eye: MED Double Pupil Lead Eyes- white on white, by Hareline
Body: Lavender and pink Bucktail over white Bucktail
Flash: Pink Krystal flash
Orange Bandit
This Clouser Minnow fly is intended as an imitation of several different baitfish found near the shoreline such as Mummichog, Banded killifish, and Sculpin. Again, the graduation of colors is used in the design with dark brown on top near the head graduating to a root beer and black back, and then a belly of orange colored Bucktail. I use a copper, root beer, or orange crystal flash with the fly to be compatible with the colors chosen. All of these flies are banded down the body and tail. Fish it close to shore for perch or red drum. I’ve also done very well with the black/brown over orange fly with sea trout on a larger version of the fly fished in channels. Black Seabass like it also when fished on the bottom over oyster-beds. May be a coincidence but it was very effective at the time where we had fish feeding on brown shrimp. Another variation that uses lighter browns or olive over a yellow belly is also recommended.
#1/0 Hook: Gamakatsu SS15 or Mustad 34007-22
Thread: Root Beer, 210 denier by Danville
Eye: MED Double Pupil Lead eyes- Black/yellow by Hareline
Body: Black and root beer Bucktail over orange Bucktail
Flash: Copper, Orange or Root Beer Krystal flash
Tutti Frutti
An obvious adaptation of a Clouser Minnow fly universally used for False Albacore and other nearshore species. I don’t know the origin of the clouser version of this fly, but it sure works here in the Chesapeake, especially in the fall when the bay anchovy and silversides are getting hammered by striped bass and bluefish. I’ve also picked up Spanish mackerel and sea trout on this fly. There remains a question as to whether the fly should be tied with pink over chartreuse or the reverse. My recent leaning is for pink over chartreuse, as pink has been very successful against multiple species like blues, and sea trout. One version incorporates pink crystal flash and uses an extended tail of gray DNA holo-fusion to accentuate the lateral reflective stripe of the anchovy and silverside while retaining some of the transparency and action of the tail of the bait. Another version uses more flexible pearl flashabou.
#1/0 Hook: Gamakatsu SS15 or Mustad 34007-22
Thread: chartreuse or shrimp pink, 210 denier by Uni-Thread
Eye: MED Double Pupil Lead eyes- chartreuse/white by Hareline
Body: Pink Bucktail over Chartreuse Bucktail
Optional Tail: Gray DNA Holo Fusion
Flash: Pink Krystal flash
Peanut Bunker
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This deceiver design borrowed from some of my work on the Tiderunner clouser minnow but by making a bigger fly with a little extra flash in the form of flashabou. This pattern works great in late fall when the football-shaped Striped Bass are slurping up Menhaden (bunker). This is a good starting point anytime you think the predator fish are hitting the bunker instead of the smaller bay anchovy and silverside. Variations on this for late fall fish have incorporated marabou and even Enrico Puglisi’s synthetic brush to build a larger head to push a little more water. Turn this into a Half and Half and you can fish deep.
#4/0 Hook: Gamakatsu SL12S 1X short or Tiemco #1/0 TMC600SP
Thread: Grey 3/0, 220 denier by Danville
Eye: 5/32” Molded 3d eyes, black oval pupil, pearl, by Hareline
Body: Brown, Lavender and pink over white Bucktail
Tail: White saddle hackles
Flash: Pearl Flashabou, Pink Krystal flash
Herring
This deceiver pattern was developed after examining a picture that Mr Geroge Leonard showed me at a fishing show that compared one of his jig designs to that of an actual herring. A nice match George. I liked his choice of materials and colors and have emulated it in this deceiver design.
#4/0 Hook: Gamakatsu SL12S 1X short or Tiemco #1/0 TMC600SP
Thread: olive, 210 denier by Danville
Eye: 5/32” Molded 3d eyes, black oval pupil, pearl, by Hareline
Body: Black and olive and over white Bucktail
Tail: White saddle hackles
Flash: Pearl and olive Flashabou, rainbow Krystal flash
Shad
This deceiver design was intended to provide another variation of the flat baitfish. Here the idea is to emulate the gizzard shad, hickory shad or threadfin shad with light blue and lavender over white. I purposely use a proportionally smaller diameter eye that is used in the herring or peanut bunker design. This one was made for those early season shad runs that striped bass may be taking advantage of.
#4/0 Hook: Gamakatsu SL12S 1X short or Tiemco #1/0 TMC600SP
Thread: Grey, 220 denier by Danville
Eye: 5/32” Molded 3d eyes, black oval pupil, pearl, by Hareline
Body: Black and olive and over white Bucktail
Tail: White saddle hackles
Flash: Pearl and olive Flashabou, rainbow Krystal flash
Grass Shrimp
This design was based on a gotcha design used for bonefish but using the colors of grass shrimp which are local to these waters. Works good on White Perch.
Hook: Tiemco #4 TMC811S
Thread: Light olive, 170 denier by Danville
Eye: small dumbell eye, dark or yellow eye
Body: Estaz Mickey Meat
WIng/back: tan arctic fox or calf tail
Tail: trimmed black orininal EP fibers
Legs: Tan silly legs