The chase for the Peacock Bass is never ending. With more and more people discovering fly fishing as the preferred way to target this hard fighting freshwater sportfish, fly patterns to specifically target this species are getting more and more elaborate and some are adding more accessories to the flies that are designed to catch the angler.

While going through the mountains of fly tying materials that I have amassed throughout the years, I came across this packet of Gliss N Glint from Deer Creek. They come in a myriad of colours but I seemed to lack the colour that I was looking for, Bright Olive. After getting a packet from Fly Tie Cast, I immediately sat down and proceeded to tie the evergreen Clouser. This is a trusted pattern that works wonder with most species of fish. I have caught bluefins, GTs, groupers, Peacock Bass… almost all types of fish.

Created in 1987 by Bob Clouser, a Pennsylvania fly shop owner and guide, the fly was originally designed to target the small mouth bass on the Susquehanna River. Lefty Kreh named the fly Clouser Deep Minnow. He claims to have caught over 87 species of game fish with this fly.

This fly is a baitfish imitation. Weighted with a lead dumbbell eyes, it will help it reach the desire depth quickly. There are many variation to this fly to imitate the baitfish in the specific area. With the hook riding up, the chances of being snagged is reduced. While targeting PB, the fish love to hang out around the snag areas, this fly is worth its weight in gold.

After tying 3 pieces of Olive GnG Clouser, it was time to go fishing. With daily rain, the chance for catching good size PB was pretty good. The occasional social media posting of sizeable fish was all the invitation we needed. The trick was to be there early and that was exactly what we did. By 6.15am, we had loaded the Inflatable Boat (IB) and drove to the fishing spot. Breakfast was optional and we decided against wasting time. We arrived just as the sun was about to appear over the horizon.  In less than 30 minutes, we were already on the water.

Our goal for the day was very simple. A good size fish for each of us and we would head for breakfast and call it a day. Nic got Captain duty first and we headed to the hot spot. I was sitting in the front while Clevin was positioned in the middle. Seeing the fallen trees, I proceeded to cast and allow the fly to sink before stripping it in fast. Similar to fly fishing for sebarau. In just a few cast, my fly was stopped. I thought I had hit a snag. I gave it a tug anyway. It could be a fish and true to prediction, the line started to move and I held on to the fly line. Line was slipping through my fingers. Nic expertly maneuvered the IB away from the snags. The fish fought hard, pulling the tip of Vision XO Graphene wt6 into the water. It fought doggedly and after a few intense minutes, the fish was guided into the net. With the morning sky still dark, we had landed the first fish of the day.