Fly Tying Inventory
Marabou Muddler
The Marabou Muddler is a variant of Don Gapen's Muddler Minnow, which dates to the 1930s. It keeps the spun and clipped deer hair head of the original but uses a marabou wing and a silver cactus chenille body, with a red hackle tip tail and a peacock herl topping over the wing. Tied here with white marabou; yellow is the usual alternative. It is a big fish attractor. Tie it in sizes 4 to 10 on a 3X to 6X long streamer hook.
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Materials
Streamer hook, 3X to 6X long, sizes 4-10
4-10
Thread, black (or tan)
Black
Red hackle tips
Red
Cactus chenille, silver
Silver
Marabou, white (or yellow)
White
Peacock herl, 3 to 4 strands, as a topping over the wing
Peacock
Deer hair, natural, spun and clipped
Natural
How to Tie the Marabou Muddler
- 1
Step 1
Mount the hook, start the black thread and run it back to the bend.
- 2
Step 2
Tie in the red hackle tips at the bend for the tail and trim the butts.
- 3
Step 3
Tie in the silver cactus chenille at the bend and wrap it forward. Tie it off well back from the eye to leave room for the deer hair head.
- 4
Step 4
Tie a bunch of white marabou on top of the shank in front of the body for the wing, and trim the butts.
- 5
Step 5
Tie three or four strands of peacock herl on top of the marabou as a topping, and trim the butts.
- 6
Step 6
Cut a bunch of natural deer hair, hold it on top of the shank in front of the wing with the tips pointing back over the body, and tighten the thread so the hair spins and flares. Leave these tips as a collar.
- 7
Step 7
Push the hair back tight against the wing, then spin more bunches in front of it until you reach the eye. Whip finish.
- 8
Step 8
Trim the deer hair to shape the head, leaving the collar tips and taking care not to cut the wing.
Watch Tying Tutorial
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wdRNMQBDl2A
Credit: Savage Flies