Saltwater Fly Fishing: The Clouser in Chartreuse & White
Published: 18th April 2025 | Author: Joe Walker
When saltwater fly fishing, the chartreuse and white clouser is one of the most versatile and effective flies there is. This fly has caught a variety of fish species all over the world. From snapper and needlefish in the humid mangroves of the Caribbean, to Kingfish and Kahawai in the rich Pacific waters of New Zealand, and more bass than I could shake a stick at along the crinkly and ever-varied shores of the UK. Some other notable catches on the chartreuse and white clouser have been garfish, pollack, mackerel and even the odd golden grey mullet. It’s the consummate all-rounder and should have a permanent home in every anglers saltwater fly box.
The Proof Is in the Pudding
When faced with bass activity in anything other than skinny or weedy water, there’s one fly I’d reach for through muscle-memory alone. I wouldn’t even hesitate to think about it: the chartreuse and white clouser. In fact, if I was forced to select just one single pattern for saltwater fly fishing anywhere in the world, I’d pick a clouser in chartreuse and white.
Clousers work great in freshwater fisheries too. Check out these freshwater clouser variations!
Saltwater Fly Selection for Dynamic Conditions
Of course, we never actually set out with just one pattern. Whilst we have our favourites, most saltwater anglers love having a box bursting with patterns for all eventualities. Water conditions are a big part of saltwater fly fishing and there are a lot of competing factors to keep in mind when making your fly choice. From tidal currents and depth, to clarity and weed cover, saltwater anglers must consider it all.
Depth & Structure
For me it starts with depth. When bass are hitting fry on the surface, or hunting through shallow water amongst fly-fouling weeds and seagrass, you can’t go wrong with the blue and white mylar popper. A popper keeps your retrieve out of the clutches of snags, and lures bass in with irresistible commotion that signals a baitfish in distress. For fishing just below the surface, unweighted patterns like the classic deceiver and sparkle minnow offer unmatched versatility. When paired with different line densities, the deceiver can be fished at varying depths. Finally comes the good old clouser and its variations. When weighted, it suits moving water and areas with depth. Getting the fly down quickly into the kill-zone is critical when fishing to moving targets.
Water Clarity & Other Considerations
There are a many key factors that affect water clarity along coastlines: currents and wind direction, tide stage, rainfall, substrate composition, presence of river silt in estuaries, and time of day. When water is extremely turbid, I recommend fishing noisy surface flies like poppers and sliders which alert surrounding predators that food is near. In half-light conditions and reasonably clear water, the brightly coloured flies like chartreuse and white will out-perform dull coloured patterns. When fishing at night or in murky conditions, darker flies come into their own. It may seem counter-intuitive to fish a black fly at night, but it’s all about contrast and silhouette. From a fish’s perspective, a black clouser will be far more visible in low light against the faint night-sky.
Set Yourself up for Saltwater Success
Having a good fly selection gives you confidence when stepping out onto the shore to fish. You will maximise your chances of catching when choosing to a fly that best suits the situation. Fishing a variety of conditions also gives you the opportunity to experiment. For me, last year’s most memorable fishing session came right at the end of the season. Rather than play around with my normal go-to shrimp flies, I chose to fish small sandeel and minnow patterns. The results were surprising. Whilst it’s a known fact amongst ‘mulleteers’, I didn’t realise just how predatory these fish are.
Of the five handsome fish landed in that particular session (a mix of thin-lipped and golden grey mullet), two fell to the usual shrimp, and three took the sandeel… and boy, did they hit it! The Fulling Mill size 6 green Los Roques Minnow is perfect for this. It’s always a thrill when something in fishing subverts your expectations. I can’t wait to get out and play with this scenario some more!
Check out more of Fulling Mill’s wide range of clousers, offered in a variety of colours for both freshwater and saltwater fly fishing.
Salty Clouser Collection (Available Worldwide)
Deep Water Clouser Collection (Available Outside The USA)
Clouser Minnow Collection (USA Only)
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