Fly Tying: Brush 'N Wing Minnow

from FFE Magazine 2021

by Flyfish Europe

The Kola Peninsula: A New Kid on the Block

FLY TYING: BRUSH ‘N WING MINNOW

Streamers are big-fish-magnets. Big fish get big for a reason – because they start feeding on calorie-rich baitfish. Therefore – if you’re into catching big fish, realistic baitfish patterns should be an integral part of your fly collection. In the following, Jonatan Ternald, presents the Brush ’n Wing Minnow, which is a pattern developed specifically for searun brown trout: An easy-to-tie and very lifelike pattern.

By Jonatan Ternald - www.searun.org

Brush ‘n Wing Minnow is a simple baitfish fly that is meant to be quick, easy and fun too tie. I learned the style from Nacho Heredero and have found out that it is possible to do variations of this fly ad infinitum. Simply mix the right colours for whatever baitfish you’re aiming at imitating and cut and trim to get just the right shape and profile.

I personally find the Brush ‘n Wing fibres to be perfect for the fly, and – in the water – they have a special sheen that really attract sea-run brown trout (which is my favourite species to target with a fly rod).

In my opinion, a lot of other fibres are too thick and bulky to make small minnow patterns. The Brush ‘n Wing material, however, is very thin and pulsating. On top of that, you get your flash incorporated into the fly in a very subtle and organic way. Having said this, I encourage you to try different fibres too.

As soon as you get the technique right, it’s a both fast and easy to get a whole series of super-effective flies wrapped up with your favourite fibre materials.

The finished fly doesn’t absorb very much water and it makes it easy to cast.

Trimming the Minnow is probably the hardest bit. I have found that the easiest thing for me to do is to wrap up a bunch of Minnows and then trim them one after another – to get into a good workflow. This helps with trimming consistency – and is something I generally recommend. In order to properly trim the flies properly, you will need razor sharp scissor with blades that are at least 3 centimetres in length.

The finished fly doesn’t absorb very much water and it makes it easy to cast. Mine have “Loon heads” for increased durability and for adding just a little bit of weight to the fly. Underneath the head I add some Loon Coloured UV Resin in fluorescent hot orange or red as a trigger point.

This Brush ‘n Wing Minnow works just as well in fresh- as in saltwater. I use them across a wide range of different fishing spots; from really shallow waters fished with floating lines all the way to spots that drop off to 7 – 8 meters in depth, which I fish with fast-sinking lines. And I love how committed and prompt the takes usually are!