Marabou Muddler – an adaptation to achieve great results

Marabou Muddler

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Tying Instructions

1. Tie in tail of Marabou. Length to be the shank length.

2. Attach lead wire in front of the tail tie down position and wrap forward about 15 wraps. Secure the lead wire with plenty of wraps and place enough thread wraps at each end of the lead wraps to create a tapered surface.

3. Dub in the body with Light Olive Ice Dubbing. Secure where the lead wire finished at about one third hook shank position.

4. Attach Olive Marabou for the wing. The end of the wing should equal the end of tail. There should still be about a quarter length of hook shank available for the head.

5. Clip a small amount of deer hair and even the tips in a stacker. Postion the hair so that the tips of the hair just reach the hook point. Wrap two soft thread loops around the center of the hair bundle and gently pull downwards spinning the hair tips around the hook shank.

6. Clip another small bundle of deer hair and trim the tips off. Attach the hair the same way as before and compact the hair tightly to the previous bundle.

7. There should be enough room for another bundle of hair so put it on as before and pack in tightly.

8. Tie off and whip finish. Trim the deer hair butts into a cone shaped head. Take care not to trim any of the deer hair tips that make up the collar.

Materials to Order Material, click the link
Hook	TMC 5263 #4-10
Thread	Danville Brown 6/0
Weighted	15 wraps of 0.020 leadfree wire
Head	Deer Hair, spun and clipped
Tail	Olive Marabou
Body	Lt. Olive Ice Dubbing
Wing	Two Olive Marabou
Collar	Deer Hair ,spun

Dan Bailey

Marabou Muddler

This fly is a variation of the Muddler Minnow originated by Don Gapen of Anoka, Minnesota in the late 1930’s. Don’s Muddler Minnow was publicized inThe Practical Fly Fishermanmagazine in 1953. The name ‘Muddler’ is a nickname used in the Midwest for sculpin-type fish and Don Gapen’s use of a clipped deer hair head with a deer hair collar has become synonymous for depicting a Muddler pattern.

Dan Bailey is credited for creating a dense deer hair head rather than the sparse head that Gapen preferred. The reasoning was that the Muddler used in the West was primarily for hopper imitations rather than sculpins. However, Bailey also marketed this variation using marabou and was weighted to imitate the sculpins in the Yellowstone river system. It became one of his most successful streamers and has become very popular throughout the Western States in Brown, Yellow, and Black colors.

The use of a clipped deer hair head gives the fly some floatation qualities, although it is also weighted in order to get the fly down as a streamer using a sinking line. With a retrieve, the fly will bob to and fro. Dan Bailey passed away in 1982 at the age of 78.

Variations

Orange Marabou Muddler

Hook	TMC 5263 #6-12
Thread	Danville Brown 6/0
Weighted	15 wraps of 0.020 leadfree wire
Head	Deer Hair, spun and clipped
Tail	Turkey Tail Fibers
Body	Silver Flat Tinsel
Wing	Orange Marabou with Peacock Herl
Collar	Deer Hair ,spun

Burgundy Marabou Muddler

Hook	TMC 5263 #6-12
Thread	Danville Black 6/0
Weighted	15 wraps of 0.020 leadfree wire
Head	Deer Hair, spun and clipped
Tail	Turkey Tail Fibers
Body	Purple Krystal Chenille
Wing	Two Burgundy Marabou
Collar	Deer Hair ,spun

White Marabou Muddler

Hook	TMC 5263 #6-12
Thread	Danville Brown 6/0
Weighted	15 wraps of Conehead, Gold
Head	Deer Hair, spun and clipped
Tail	Red Soft Hackle Fibers
Body	Flat Silver Tinsel
Wing	White Marabou with Peacock Herl
Collar	Deer Hair ,spun

Yellow Marabou Muddler

Hook	TMC 5263 #6-12
Thread	Danville Brown 6/0
Weighted	15 wraps of 0.020 leadfree wire
Head	Deer Hair, spun and clipped
Tail	Turkey Tail Fibers
Body	Flat Gold Tinsel
Wing	Yellow Marabou with Peacock Herl
Collar	Deer Hair ,spun

Black Marabou Muddler

Hook	TMC 5263 #6-12
Thread	Danville Brown 6/0
Weighted	15 wraps of 0.020 leadfree wire
Head	Deer Hair, spun and clipped
Tail	Black Marabou
Body	Black Ice Dubbing
Wing	Two Black Marabou
Collar	Deer Hair ,spun