One night, while fishing from an inflatable, I heard a fish break the surface in a watery explosion! It was within casting distance, so I quickly stripped in line and laid a cast within a few feet of the moonlit splash rings. A second later, my fly was slammed and my line went tight. It was a large brown trout. That trout put on a show, going aerial three times before he was netted. 

The Mini Midnight Reaper, can be tied in any color to imitate aquatic life such as baitfish, insects, and leeches. A crawfish-colored Mini Reaper with its practically weedless construction, is irresistible to fish, creating commotion and sound waves as it scuttles along the bottom.

The previous version of this fly was tied using 1/16 oz jig hooks. Although it caught lots of fish, this heavier version was difficult to fish over weed beds and shallow bays because of its fast sink rate. By tying various weights of cone heads to un-weighted jig hooks, we can now swim the Reaper slowly over these aquatic zones without it sinking too fast.