Fat Head Minnow Fly

Keith Fulsher of Eastchester, NY developed the original Thunder Creek Silver Shiner fly in 1962.  The tying style of this pattern is called ’reverse-tied bucktails’.  He started to experiment with constructing streamers that would more exactly imitate baitfish. Unsatisfied with the gaudy streamers then available he set about creating a sparse and streamlined minnow imitation.    The JJ’s Fat Head Minnow Fly is based on Keith Fulsher’s Thunder Creek style of tying.  His shiner fly was tied rather small on a #10 to #8 size streamer hook.



















8/20/10 - Dave caught a 16.5 inch smallie on a colored black Fat Head Minnow Fly.

I have bulked this fly up for the mighty bass and walleye but it is still extremely lightweight to cast!  The variants I’ve came up include a much larger minnow on a #2 size hook.  I’ve added silver mylar tinsel to the hook shank and it gives a silvery flash through the translucency of the bucktail when wet.  The profile is impressionistic of a "fat head" minnow that features an epoxied head for durability and dolls eyes for a little "rattle" effect in stained waters.  The effectiveness of this fly comes from the prominent head and when wet, a long tapered body which accurately imitates the  minnow fry.  The reddish banding behind the head is for subtle color as the fly zips through the water and it represents bleeding gill plates of the minnow.

For the life of me I don’t know why I don’t see more reverse-tied-style streamers in the fly boxes of other anglers. These patterns are extremely effective and do an amazing job of imitating baitfish. Big fish eat little fish, and almost any freshwater trophy will eat a JJ’s Fat Head Minnow.   


Usually tied in larger sizes on a #2 and #4 XL shanked streamer hook but if you need another specific sized hook, just ask...  I probably have some in stock!