The Rattle Clouser

[John H]

I decided a few months ago that I should start adding rattles to my Clousers. I had some small rattles and tied them on the hook shank but I don't think they made much noise. I bought some bigger ones but they were a bulky mess on the fly and I did not like the way the fly came out. I tried it again recently and with the help of some English dude on YouTube I put them on using heat shrink tubing. Seems like they are going to stay on, they are not in the way of any of the materials on the fly and they might even make more noise in the tubing. The English guy was pretty convinced they were noisier in the tubing but I can't tell the difference. So far I don't think the rattle has gotten me one more striper than I would have caught without the rattle but I will keep using them. Now all I need is a 10 pound striper roll into one of the spots I fish and grab the darn thing. It is kind of slow out there. I might have to tie up a carp fly and go look for some Eurasian carp.

http://i.imgur.com/MEs5sJJ.jpg (https://imgur.com/MEs5sJJ)

http://i.imgur.com/poYjgrP.jpg (https://imgur.com/poYjgrP)

http://i.imgur.com/xXe8t0Z.jpg (https://imgur.com/xXe8t0Z)

[Tony Buzolich]

That's a real pretty fly John. With or without the rattle.
Tony

[Carl Blackledge]

John,

Love your fly. I tie all my clousers with the red lead eyes

[Mr T]

Great looking tie there John.

I use pearl body tubing for the same effect, but I think your version is more robust.

[guido]

Great looking tie!

[John H]

I also tied one using the pearl mylar tubing. I liked the color but the heat shrink tubing seems pretty indestructible.

It seems like people are going all synthetic on their striper Clousers. I like the look of the bucktail and I put slinky flash under it for bulk but I feel like I am falling behind the trend. I think they use synthetic for durability but I don’t have a problem with the bucktail falling out so I will stick with it for now.

[Darian]

A couple of guides I know include rattles in their Striper flies. Not sure if they use the rubberized tubing, tho. Seems like the tubing would stifle sound.

As others have said I tie rattles into EZ Body tubing in some of my Striper flies. I choose to use glass body rattles as they sound louder than plastic but aren't as durable (gotta keep 'em away from rip-rap).