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Santa Shad (Murdich Minnow)
This is basically a Murdich Minnow pattern with some notable differences.
I call it the Santa Shad because it has Christmas colors and brings lots of joy. This style of fly was originally a salt water standard developed by Bill Murdich. Somebody had the bright idea of trying it inland. This is similar but not an exact dupe of the Murdich. Here are the differences:
- This fly uses olive marabou top and white bottom instead of ice fur.
- Red estaz chenille wrap or red marker as shown above.
- We use a green estaz for the top of the head.
I picked it up at a fly fishing show a couple years ago and tried it for the first time the other day. The juries still out, but I absolutely annihilated the smallies on it on an early September outing. It was especially good in slow moving water - not hard to find this time of year.
There is a very nice YouTube tying video on the original pattern here, from Tight Lines of De Pere, WI:
Materials:
- Streamer hooks wide gap Size 6 - 1/0
- Marabou: white and olive
- White bucktail
- Flashabou - perch or any peacock herl-like color
- Cactus Chenille - the sparkly kind - red, white, and green (Christmas colors)
- Pearl Estaz
- Eyes - Deep Red
Tying Instructions
- Your favorite (or available) streamer hook size 6 - 1/0
- Use olive or brown thread.
- Tie in light fibrous bucktail (take closer to the end of the tail). Cut is so it extends at least twice the length of the hook beyond the bend; and have the thick end fibers extend along the shank nearly to the eye to add bulk.
- Tie in 6 - 8 strands of Flashabou
- Tie in 1/2 ro 1 individual stalk of White Marabou UNDER the shank.
- Tie in 1/2 individual stalk of Olive Marabou OVER the shank in line with the White Marabou.
- Tie in 4 short strands of Flashabou THE SAME LENGTH as the Marabou.
- Add White Cactus or Regular Chenille to form the head and shoulders area
- Tie in an inch log piece of green cactus chenille on top and leave laying back over the Marabou, to be brought forward later.
- Palmer on or two wraps of red cactus chenille just in front or the Maribou.
- Bring the Green Cactus Chenille forward and tie it down, just short of the eye, so you have a 1/16 inch for the thread wrap.
- Add Red Eyes - if you want. I’m going to try red magic marker (You purists are going to laugh at me, but I’m lazy and cheap!). P.S. The magic marker pattern worked great the other day!
- Tie off with a small whip finish and epoxy or otherwise glue - or just leave like I do and wait for it to unravel..
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