Tying an Articulated Sparkle Minnow Streamer Fishing Fly

The Sparkle Minnow (single hook) and the Articulated Sparkle Minnow (two hooks) is a favorite among guides in Colorado and Wyoming. The fly has few materials and could easily be named the Ice Minnow given that 90% of the fly is made with Ice Dubbing. The key to this fly is mastering the dubbing loop used for the body and underbelly. There are three methods that can be used to make the dubbing loops…we typically use a mix of these methods when tying this fly.

Tying Notes:

• Dubbing Loop Method 1 – Pre-made Brushes. If you’re tying several of these flies in one sitting, or if you need to tie one or two quickly, having pre-made brushes at the ready makes this fly very straightforward. The tradeoff, obviously, is that you must make (or buy) the brushes. We really like the dubbing brush table from Oasis (https://www.oasisbenches.com/dubbing-brush-table/).
• Dubbing Loop Method 2 – Tying Wire or Stainless wire. The key to this method is to treat the wire just as you would thread when making the dubbing loop. We find that a bit of dubbing wax is very helpful because both the wire and dubbing are slick. One advantage of this method is that the core of the loop – the wire – creates a durable fly. The biggest advantage, however, is that once the loop is made, the wire stays rigid and does not unwind. This is very helpful for the dubbing loop that is used for the belly of this fly because this loop is made and then must “hang out” while other steps are completed, so having a rigid loop that doesn’t unwind is very helpful.
• Dubbing Loop Method 3 – Traditional dubbing loop. This is the quickest method and plenty durable for the main body. We think that either one of the wire methods is best for the belly.

Recipe:

• Hooks: Daiichi 1750 Streamer Hook, size 4 or 6 for both sections. https://www.discountflies.com/product/M-D1750.html
• Cone: Raven and Wolf 7.7mm Tungsten Coneheads, Color of choice although matte black is a nice addition to most any color combinations. https://www.discountflies.com/product/M-RWTCH77.html
• Thread: SEMPERFLI Nano Silk Thread 200D (3/0), Black or White. https://www.discountflies.com/product/M-SCW3.html
• Tail: Marabou feathers, 2-3. https://www.discountflies.com/product/M-CCBOU.html
• Body 1 (Belly): Raven and Wolf Ice Dubbing, twisted into a dubbing loop. https://www.discountflies.com/product/M-RWICE.html
• Body 2: Raven and Wolf Ice Dubbing, twisted into a dubbing loop. https://www.discountflies.com/product/M-RWICE.html
• Throat (optional): Raven and Wolf Ice Dubbing, Red. https://www.discountflies.com/product/M-RWICE.html
• Collar/head (optional): Raven and Wolf Ice Dubbing, same as top/dark color. https://www.discountflies.com/product/M-RWICE.html