Divers and Sliders

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Skipping Minnow

There are times when bass are chasing baitfish and a lure like the Skipping Minnow is called for.

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Materials List

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Hook	Mustad 9674	Size 4
Thread	Uni-Thread - 6.0	White
Tail	Marabou Blood Feather	White
Flash	Midge Flash	Pearl
Underbody	Flyfoam	White
Skin	Mylar Tubing - Large	Pearlescent
Eyes	Molded Plastic	Small - Silver

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Tying Notes

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The Skipping Minnow is two inches long and floats like a cork.

I prefer to use the Mustad 9674 streamer hook because it has a straight eye but you could use any 4X long hook including those with a turned down eye.

I prefer marabou for the tail but you could easily substitute craft fur or other synthetic hairs or even bucktail for the tail. A tail from pearl crystal flash also works.

You can paint the eyes or install prismatic, solid plastic, or doll eyes.

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Angling Tips

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Since this is a floating minnow you can manipulate it with the fly line, the rod tip, or a combination of both. Regardless, you want it to look either like a fleeing minnow or a dying minnow. I have had good look with a strip-pause-strip-strip retrieve.

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Tying Instructions

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Step 1

Insert the hook in the vice, crimp the barb, attach the thread. Lay down a thread base from the hook's eye to the bend.

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Step 2

Remove the core from a piece of large Mylar Tubing and measure it against the hook. Cut the piece of tubing about 3/8 inch longer the the hook.

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Step 3

Push the tubing over the hook's eye as shown and tie it in.

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Step 4

Select a Marabou Blood Feather. Remove about an inch of the tip and tie it in for the tail.

Add a few strands of Crystal Flash or Midge Flash. I prefer Midge Flash.

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Step 5

Cut a piece of 1/16th inch fly foam into a 1/8th inch strip about three inches long and trim one end to a point as shown in the photo.

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Step 6

Tie the foam by the tip at the base of the tail.

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Step 7

Wrap the foam forward beginning with tension on the foam but using less tension as you wrap toward the hook's eye. This allows the foam to increase in size as it is wrapped giving fly a tapered body.

Once you have achieved that, tie off the foam and remove the excess.

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Step 8

Wrap the thread back to the base of the tail with wide thread wraps with very little tension on the thread. You don't want to compress the foam any more than necessary.

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Step 9

Gently push the tubing to the rear of the hook as shown in the photo.

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Step 10

Bind the tubing at the base of the tail with a couple wraps of thread and tie it off with a Zap-A-Gap Knot.

The Zap-A-Gap Knot is achieved by coating an inch or so of the thread closest to the hook with the glue. Wrap the wet thread over the existing thread wraps. The glue dries immediately. Remove the thread.

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Step 11

Clean up the frayed tubing with your scissors if a little trimming is necessary.

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Step 12

Before you install the eyes paint some gills with a red Sharpie.

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Step 13

Glue on the eyes. I use Household Goop. Use whatever works for you.

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Step 14

Paint the body with Dave's Flexament or Loon Clear Hard Head. I prefer the latter.

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Step 15

Let the glue dry and your Skipping Minnow is ready to catch fish.

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