Baby Belly Scratcher Minnow
Cheech - December, 2018
Someone asked me about all the "baby" flies... Yes, there is a BABY EVERYTHING... Anyway, if you haven't tried the belly scratcher minnow, it's a highly recommended single hook baitfish that is designed to have a small, thin profile, and ride hook point up to avoid snags. Originally designed for a buddy (Bryan Gregson) for the streams in Argentina, it has quickly become one of the most popular flies in my arsenal. I have tied them from 7" to about 1" and they all catch fish in the correct situation! This iteration of the belly scratcher minnow eliminates a zonker strip tail because the leather on any zonker is too much sauce for a fly this small. Instead, I've subbed it out for Whiting Spey Hackle, which is actually kind of stringy, but it has really really good movement with minimal materials. You can also add/subtract weight from this fly depending on where and how you want to fish it! Tie them up and get them wet!!!!
~ Cheech
Hook: Fulling Mill 36040 Streamer Stripper - 6
Thread: UTC Ultrathread 70 Denier - White
Bead: Plummeting Tungsten Beads - Gold - 5/32" (3.8mm)
Tail: Spey Chickabou Pelt - White
Body: Ice Dub - Callibaetis
Head1: Bruiser Blend Junior Dubbing - Alpha Wolf
Head2: Bruiser Blend Junior Dubbing - Cream
Eyes: Fluorescent Fly Eyes - Fl. Chartreuse - 7/32" (5.5mm)
Wire: Senyo Intruder Trailer Hook Wire - Black - Regular