Salty Muddler

Ok this is not a new fly but a repurposed one. At a recent fly tying night we were talking about muddlers and deer hair divers and how if you tie them on saltwater hooks they can pull double duty in the gulf and on the rivers.  Genrally I tie in one of two extremes...way to many materials (see the Dog Collar) or super simple.   The Salty Muddler is definitely the latter.

Hook: Size 2 Saltwater Hook
Tail: White Marabou
Head: Spun Deer Hair

I like throwing white topwaters in the gulf for trout and redfish. However, I will tie up some other color combinations such as red with yellow and white with chartreuse (if all else fails go to chartreuse and white flies). Additionally smaller hook sizes are always a good thing to have in the box if the flies are gonna be pulling double duty.

For the record deer hair is my nemesis on the vice. However, the only way to get better with it is to keep tying with it. The simplicity of this fly makes it a great one to practice deer hair skills on because if it ends up in the crap fly bin all you loose is a hook and some marabou. Good luck.