The Half and Half: A Great Fly for Freshwater and Salt




The Half and Half in an always-popular red and white dressing.

The Half and Half is a combination of Lefty Kreh's famous Deceiver and Bob Clouser's Deep Minnow. It features the Deep Minnow's familiar deer-tail fiber belly and wing along with the Deceiver's saddle-hackle tails. This fly is deadly in a variety of sizes and color combinations, in both freshwater and salt.




This head-on view of a wet Half and Half reveals its bass-tempting baitfish profile.

Like other Clouser-style flies, the Half and Half makes use of weighted eyes, long deer-tail fibers and a generous amount of flash to create an irresistible baitfish imitation. The long body materials flow in the water and the heavy eyes ensure that the fly is always in motion. Unlike the Clouser Deep Minnow, the Half and Half also has a saddle-hackle tail for added bulk and action.
The Half and Half is commonly fished with long strips and pauses. This retrieval technique causes the fly to rise and fall in the water column. Like many weighted streamers, you will find that this motion often causes fish to strike the fly between strips.



This crayfish-colored Half and Half makes a fine deep-water presentation.

Another useful technique for fishing the Half and Half is to let it sink and hop it along the bottom like a crayfish. Again, the weighted eyes and long body materials add realistic action to this type of presentation. The additional bulk of the saddle-hackle tail helps create the illusion of a big, meaty crayfish darting about the streambed.



The Half and Half is a great fly for bass in lakes or rivers.

As mentioned, the Half and Half was developed by Bob Clouser and Lefty Kreh, both of whom are well-known saltwater anglers. This pattern is popular for large, aggressive saltwater species like striped bass, in addition to freshwater black bass. Be sure to use lead eyes and stainless-steel hooks if you are tying Half and Half streamers for salt.



Putting the Half and Half together.

The Half and Half is no more difficult to tie than an ordinary Clouser Deep Minnow. If you are uncertain about tying these flies, I strongly recommend the book Clouser's Flies by Bob Clouser. His masterful step-by-step instruction and great photography make this book a must-have for both novice and experienced tiers and anglers. For years I unknowingly tied Half and Half and Clouser Deep Minnow streamers incorrectly, never quite being able to match the flies I saw in books or magazines. Clouser's Flies shed a new light on the technique for tying these flies. Here is the recipe for the Half and Half:

Half and Half

Hook: Mustad 3366, size 2/0 through 6
Thread: Danville Flymaster 6/0, color to match the body
Eyes: Lead or brass dumbbell eyes with large, black painted pupils
Tails: Six saddle hackles, 3X the hook length
Collar: Bucktail, 2X the hook length
Belly: Bucktail, 3X the hook length, tied before and after the eyes
Flash: Flashabou or Krystal Flash
Wing: Bucktail as long as the collar, tied in at the hook-eye
Head: Tying thread coated with epoxy

Be sure to coat the head, eyes and thread wraps with epoxy for maximum durability.

Although the Half and Half is a lesser-known combination of its famous predecessors, it is a brutally effective streamer pattern. Feel free to post any pictures of your Half and Half flies as well as any stories of great fishing with this Clouser-and-Kreh creation. Tight lines till next time!

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