Canyon Glow Bucktail Minnow Streamer
by @dekasso
Bucktail Streamer · Streamer
Warm canyon light on a darting minnow
A size 4 bucktail minnow streamer in olive, pink, red and yellow over a pearl body, for trout and bass in big moving water.
Canyon Glow Bucktail Minnow Streamer is a layered baitfish fly with a sparkling pearl body and a bold black head with big eyes. Its wing stacks yellow, red, white, pink and olive bucktail under barred flash, over a long red throat.
- Pattern
- Bucktail Streamer
- Imitates
- Baitfish
- Hook
- size 4
- Tippet
- 1Xrule of three
- Five layered bucktail colours
- Pearl Ice Dub body flashes underneath
- Long red throat suggests gill flare
- 3D eyes under black UV resin
- Size 4 streamer hook
On the water
Five colours of bucktail rise in neat bands: yellow and red low, white and pink in the middle, olive across the top. Barred flash runs through them like sunlight on scales. Underneath, a pearl body throws green and violet sparks, and a black head stares out with one wide white eye.
Fish it where a river slows after a long run, along rock walls and the soft edge of a seam. Swing it across the current, then strip it back in short, uneven pulls so the bucktail breathes and the flash winks. In evening light the pink and olive read clearly against dark water.
Bucktail stacking makes or breaks this fly. Keep each bunch sparse and lay it squarely on top of the last, so the colours stay in their bands and the silhouette stays slim like a real minnow.
Rigging
- Tippet
- 1Xhook size divided by three
- Leader
- Nine feet, with fluorocarbon tippet to get it down
- Rig on 2X to 3X tippet with a loop knot so the wing swims freely on the strip.
- Add a sinking tip or split shot ahead of the knot to reach fish holding deep along canyon walls.
- Vary the retrieve: two quick strips, a pause, then one long pull lets the bucktail pulse.
Where and when
- Hatch
- Baitfish
- Target
- Rainbow trout, Brown trout, Smallmouth bass
- Water type
- Canyon runs, deep pools and current seams on larger rivers
- Also fishes
- Also fishes well in stillwater margins at dawn, on lake inlets where fry gather, and in coloured water after rain when brighter flies show up.
Make it yourself
Intermediate6 materials · 12 steps
- Pattern
- Bucktail Streamer
- Style
- Streamer
- Hook
- 4XL streamer hooksize 4
- Thread
- Black 6/0
Materials in the order they go on the hook
- BodyPearl Ice Dub
- HackleRed saddle hackle fibres
- WingLayered bucktail in yellow, red, white, pink and olive
- FlashBarred pearl Krystal Flash
- EyesWhite 3D stick-on eyes
- HeadBlack UV resin
Details
- Colors
- Olive, Pink, White, Red, Yellow, Pearl, Black
How to tie it
The steps, from first wrap to whip finish (12)
- Mount the hook in the vise and lay a black thread base from behind the eye to above the barb.
- Dub a thin rope of pearl Ice Dub and wrap a slim body forward, stopping a quarter of the shank behind the eye.
- Tie in a beard of red saddle hackle fibres under the hook, long enough to reach just past the hook point.
- Tie in a sparse bunch of yellow bucktail on top, extending about one shank length past the bend.
- Stack a sparse bunch of red bucktail directly over the yellow at the same length.
- Add white bucktail, then pink, each a touch sparser and slightly longer than the layer below.
- Tie in a few strands of barred pearl Krystal Flash along each side, letting them run just past the bucktail.
- Top the wing with olive bucktail, the longest and topmost layer.
- Trim the butts at an angle and wrap a smooth, tapered head.
- Whip finish and cut the thread.
- Press a white 3D eye onto each side of the head.
- Coat the head and eyes with black UV resin and cure fully.
Proportions (5)
- Body: slim, covering the rear three quarters of the shank.
- Throat: red fibres reach to or slightly beyond the hook point.
- Wing: total length about twice the hook shank, with olive on top the longest.
- Flash: a few strands per side, ending just past the bucktail tips.
- Head: about one eighth of the shank, large enough to hold the eyes.
Tips (4)
- Clean underfur and short hairs from each bucktail bunch before tying it in; the bands stay crisp.
- Use hair from near the tip of the tail for finer, more mobile fibres on a fly this size.
- Pinch each layer firmly and take two loose wraps before tightening so the hair does not spin around the shank.
- Build the head into a smooth taper before adding eyes so the resin flows evenly.
Common mistakes (4)
- Overdressed layers make a bulky, stiff fly; use roughly half the hair that looks right.
- Bucktail rolling to the far side; hold it on top with a firm pinch while tightening.
- Uneven butts make a lumpy head; trim them on a long angle before wrapping.
- Tacky resin from a short cure; give each side a full pass under the light.
Every kit size
Materials only
Size 4 · Materials only · 12 flies
$61.20
$5.10 a fly
Includes 4XL streamer hook · White 3D stick-on eyes · and 8 more
Every item in this kit · 10 items
Hooks & beads
- 4XL streamer hook$6.50
- White 3D stick-on eyes$5.95
Thread & wire
- Black 6/0 thread$2.95
Materials
- Pearl Ice Dub$4.50
- Red saddle hackle fibres$11.95
- Layered bucktail in yellow, red, white, pink and olive$5.50
- Barred pearl Krystal Flash$3.95
- Black UV resin$13.95
Finishing
- Head cement$5.95
Guide
- Printed recipe and tying stepsIncluded
Size 4 · Materials only · 48 flies
$142.83
$2.98 a fly
Bought separately $150.35 · you save $7.52
Includes 4XL streamer hook · White 3D stick-on eyes · and 8 more
Every item in this kit · 10 items
Hooks & beads
- 4XL streamer hook$13
- White 3D stick-on eyes$11.90
Thread & wire
- Black 6/0 thread$5.90
Materials
- Pearl Ice Dub$18
- Red saddle hackle fibres$47.80
- Layered bucktail in yellow, red, white, pink and olive$22
- Barred pearl Krystal Flash$11.85
- Black UV resin$13.95
Finishing
- Head cement$5.95
Guide
- Printed recipe and tying stepsIncluded
Size 4 · Materials only · 144 flies
$337.30
$2.34 a fly
Bought separately $383.30 · you save $46
Includes 4XL streamer hook · White 3D stick-on eyes · and 8 more
Every item in this kit · 10 items
Hooks & beads
- 4XL streamer hook$35
- White 3D stick-on eyes$35.70
Thread & wire
- Black 6/0 thread$17.70
Materials
- Pearl Ice Dub$45
- Red saddle hackle fibres$143.40
- Layered bucktail in yellow, red, white, pink and olive$55
- Barred pearl Krystal Flash$31.60
- Black UV resin$13.95
Finishing
- Head cement$5.95
Guide
- Printed recipe and tying stepsIncluded
With vise & tools
Size 4 · With vise & tools · 12 flies
$211.20
$17.60 a fly
Includes 4XL streamer hook · White 3D stick-on eyes · and 17 more
Every item in this kit · 19 items
Hooks & beads
- 4XL streamer hook$6.50
- White 3D stick-on eyes$5.95
Thread & wire
- Black 6/0 thread$2.95
Materials
- Pearl Ice Dub$4.50
- Red saddle hackle fibres$11.95
- Layered bucktail in yellow, red, white, pink and olive$5.50
- Barred pearl Krystal Flash$3.95
- Black UV resin$13.95
Finishing
- Head cement$5.95
Tools
- Rotary pedestal vise$79
- Ceramic bobbin$14
- Fine-point scissors$16
- Whip finisher$9
- Hackle pliers$7
- Bodkin$5
- Bobbin threader$4
- Dubbing wax$4
- Canvas tool roll$12
Guide
- Printed recipe and tying stepsIncluded
Size 4 · With vise & tools · 48 flies
$285.33
$5.94 a fly
Bought separately $300.35 · you save $15.02
Includes 4XL streamer hook · White 3D stick-on eyes · and 17 more
Every item in this kit · 19 items
Hooks & beads
- 4XL streamer hook$13
- White 3D stick-on eyes$11.90
Thread & wire
- Black 6/0 thread$5.90
Materials
- Pearl Ice Dub$18
- Red saddle hackle fibres$47.80
- Layered bucktail in yellow, red, white, pink and olive$22
- Barred pearl Krystal Flash$11.85
- Black UV resin$13.95
Finishing
- Head cement$5.95
Tools
- Rotary pedestal vise$79
- Ceramic bobbin$14
- Fine-point scissors$16
- Whip finisher$9
- Hackle pliers$7
- Bodkin$5
- Bobbin threader$4
- Dubbing wax$4
- Canvas tool roll$12
Guide
- Printed recipe and tying stepsIncluded
Size 4 · With vise & tools · 144 flies
$469.30
$3.26 a fly
Bought separately $533.30 · you save $64
Includes 4XL streamer hook · White 3D stick-on eyes · and 17 more
Every item in this kit · 19 items
Hooks & beads
- 4XL streamer hook$35
- White 3D stick-on eyes$35.70
Thread & wire
- Black 6/0 thread$17.70
Materials
- Pearl Ice Dub$45
- Red saddle hackle fibres$143.40
- Layered bucktail in yellow, red, white, pink and olive$55
- Barred pearl Krystal Flash$31.60
- Black UV resin$13.95
Finishing
- Head cement$5.95
Tools
- Rotary pedestal vise$79
- Ceramic bobbin$14
- Fine-point scissors$16
- Whip finisher$9
- Hackle pliers$7
- Bodkin$5
- Bobbin threader$4
- Dubbing wax$4
- Canvas tool roll$12
Guide
- Printed recipe and tying stepsIncluded
The creator
Remixes
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Where this came from
fly pattern · made
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- streamer
- bucktail
- baitfish
- minnow
- trout
- bass
- pearl
- olive
- pink
- red
- yellow
- 3d eyes