Marabou Muddler

[Tom L]

WHITE MARABOU MUDDLER

Hook: Daiichi 2546, Size# 2

Thread: White Ultra GSP 100 Denier

Tail: White Bucktail, Silver Flashabou (approx. 10 strands), White Marabou

Body: Silver Mylar Tinsel

Wing: Gold Flashabou (approx. 10 strands), White Marabou

Head: White Deer Hair (spun & clipped)

 

TAN MARABOU MUDDLER

Hook: Daiichi 2546, Size# 2

Thread: Tan Ultra GSP 100 Denier

Tail: Tan Bucktail, Gold Flashabou (approx. 10 strands), Tan Marabou

Body: Gold Mylar Tinsel

Wing: Silver Flashabou (approx. 10 strands), Tan Marabou

Head: Tan Deer Hair (spun & clipped)

 

 

There are many variations of the Marabou Muddler out there. This is my version of this famous fly and it has been working very well on the Fox River for me.

 

I’ve found that the best way to fish this fly is to swing it, greased-line swing. Basically, you just cast across or down-and-across and let the currents swing the fly downstream and follow the fly with your rod tip. This will present the fly broadside to the fish. Once the fly has straightened directly downstream pause a few seconds (let the fly hangs in the current) before stripping the fly upstream. Be ready to set the hook. The hit can come at any moment in the swing and usually with only a little tap on the line. Often times, the hit also occur during the hang downstream.

 

You can fish it with a floating line or sinking tip line. If fish with a floating line, the fly will swim just under the water surface. To get it further down in the water columns, add split shots about 24” above the fly. Or in my case, I preferred a tandem flies rig. I use a weighted fly such as a Clouser Minnow or a Foxy Crawdad instead of split shots as the lead fly and attach the Marabou Muddler about 24” behind.

 

White and Tan are my favorite colors for this fly. You can also attach eyes to the fly. It will make the fly looks more attractive and will catch more fishermen, but it makes no deference to the fish.

 

Good luck.

[Tim A]

Very nice! I have been tying mine with no marabou collar just marabou tail directly behind spun deer hair. I like that flashy midsection though. It's also good to note you can play with the density of the deer hair to get different buoyancy--heavier/more clumps to ride high, sparser/fewer to sink down. With a sink tip, you might want medium-to-high density head and with a floater something medium-to-light unless you are making a topwater slider version. Thanks for turning me on to this pattern, Tom.

[Rob G]

Tom and Tim,

what does the sparse bucktail add to the fly? Just curious.

[Tom L]

I like that flashy midsection though.

The original Muddler has the flashy midsection or the mylar body. I wanted to keep the fly close to the original. I also think the added body flash make the fly more visible from below looking up. That is where most of the fish see it first, since the fly tend to swim high in the water column.

 

Tom and Tim,

what does the sparse bucktail add to the fly? Just curious.

The purpose of the bucktail is to minimize fouling of the Flashabou and Marabou tail on the hook. A lot of salt water flies used this technique.

[Tom L]

Oh! Almost forgot to mention this. Debarb the hook on this fly. Fish tend to swallow it deep.

[Tim A]

The original Muddler has the flashy midsection or the mylar body. I wanted to keep the fly close to the original. I also think the added body flash make the fly more visible from below looking up. That is where most of the fish see it first, since the fly tend to swim high in the water column.

 

 

The purpose of the bucktail is to minimize fouling of the Flashabou and Marabou tail on the hook. A lot of salt water flies used this technique.

 

I would think if the fish are looking directly up at the fly, most parts (including midsection) are a shaded silhouette. They would have to be off to the side to see any light reflected from the flash. That doesn't mean it's not an important part of the fly. I'm just trying to imagine the fish's view.

 

And I would add that you could go even sparser than in Tom's pic on the bucktail support. A few splayed fibers will do a lot to stop fouling, and they won't distract from the action or taper of the fly's tail. As Tom said, at least in saltwater tying, this is a common approach to using tails with a lot of flow like long soft hackles, marabou, craft fur/polar fiber, zonkers, & even long sections of EP/Congo. It's a better looking approach than the mono-loop tag if you are familiar with that.