Fish-Skull Mini Brush Fly | 3.5" | #2 Hook | Living Eyes | Water-Pushing Rounded Head | Saddle Hackle | Red & Black, Tan & Chartreuse | Flymen Fishing Company

Brush Fly. 3.5" (90mm). #2 Hook. Rounded Water-Pushing Head. Fish-Skull Living Eyes. Trailing Saddle Hackle Feathers. Wounded Baitfish Action. 3 Colors. Freshwater & Saltwater.

The Fish-Skull Mini Brush Fly by Flymen Fishing Company is a compact brush-style streamer built to mimic a small baitfish in distress — a scaled-down version of Flymen’s Big Game Brush Fly, sized for a wider range of species and situations on a #2 hook at 3.5" (90mm). The rounded brush head retains bulk and shape while actively pushing water on the retrieve, creating pressure waves that predators detect through the lateral line before they even see the fly. Fish-Skull Living Eyes provide a realistic, three-dimensional eye profile that triggers close-inspection strikes. Trailing saddle hackle feathers produce a pulsing, breathing action on every pause that simulates a baitfish losing control in distress. Available in Red & Black, Tan, and Chartreuse. A must-have for every serious fly angler targeting predatory species in freshwater and saltwater.

Design Features

• Rounded Water-Pushing Head — the brush head is tied with a rounded, blunt front profile rather than a tapered baitfish nose; the blunt head displaces more water per inch of travel than a tapered head, creating a pressure wave and turbulence signature in front of the fly that fish detect through the lateral line at distance; in low-visibility conditions (stained water, night, or deep presentations) where visual attraction is limited, the pressure wave can be the primary trigger that draws a predator to the fly before it can see it; the head also retains its bulk and shape through repeated casting and fishing, maintaining the fly’s water-pushing profile across a full day of use
• Fish-Skull Living Eyes — oversized, three-dimensional eyes with an internal pupil and iris structure that mimics a baitfish’s eye more realistically than a painted or epoxy-coated eye; the Living Eyes are positioned on the sides of the head where a baitfish’s eyes actually appear, and they catch light at varying angles during the retrieve to produce a directional flash that changes as the fly moves and turns; in clear water, a predator that inspects the fly at close range sees a realistic eye before committing to the strike; the eye size is proportionally larger than the baitfish being imitated, which is intentional — predators key on the eye of prey as the primary target point, and an oversized eye triggers more strikes than a proportionally correct one
• Trailing Saddle Hackle Feathers — the tail of the Mini Brush Fly is tied with long, flowing saddle hackle feathers that produce a pulsing, breathing action during and between strips; on the strip, the feathers compress and streamline behind the body; on the pause, the feathers fan out and undulate with the current and residual water movement, producing a slow, lifelike pulsing action that mimics a baitfish that has lost momentum and is struggling to maintain position — the exact trigger for a predatory strike from a fish that was following without committing; the pulsing action during the pause is often when the strike occurs

How to Fish It

• Standard Strip Retrieve — Open Water — cast and allow the fly to sink to the desired depth, then retrieve with short, sharp strips followed by a pause; on each strip, the rounded head pushes water and the hackle compresses; on the pause, the hackle fans out and pulses; vary the strip length and pace based on species and conditions — short, fast strips for aggressive fish in warm water; longer, slower strips with extended pauses for fish in cold water or post-frontal conditions when a wounded, struggling action is more effective than a fast, fleeing one; most strikes on the Mini Brush Fly occur during the pause, so resist the urge to strip continuously
• Swing & Pulse — Current Situations — cast across the current and allow the fly to swing in an arc below the angler; the current activates the saddle hackle throughout the swing, producing a continuous pulsing action with no retrieve required; at the end of the swing, strip slowly back with long pauses to let the hackle pulse in the current; effective for trout, bass, and inshore species holding in current seams, tidal rips, and river mouths where baitfish are being swept downstream and predators are positioned to intercept them
• Vertical Drop — Structure Fishing — position the fly directly over structure (dock pilings, bridge shadows, submerged rock, and reef edges) and allow it to sink on a semi-slack line; the hackle pulses throughout the fall, mimicking a baitfish descending out of control; when the fly reaches the target depth, begin short strips to activate the head’s water-pushing action before pausing again; the combination of fall action and strip-and-pause action in a vertical presentation is highly effective for bass and inshore species holding tight to structure directly below the angler
• Night Fishing — Dock Lights & Bridges — the rounded head’s pressure wave is particularly valuable at night when visual attraction is secondary to lateral line detection; cast into the edge of a dock light or bridge light shadow where predators hold in the darkness and ambush baitfish attracted to the light; the head’s water-pushing action draws predators to the fly from beyond the visible range of the light; Red & Black produces maximum contrast and silhouette visibility under dock lights; Chartreuse produces the highest visibility in the outer edges of the lit zone

Color Guide

• Red & Black — dark, high-contrast color combination; most effective in low-light conditions, at night, and in stained water where a strong silhouette is more important than color accuracy; the red element adds a subtle warmth that mimics blood or injury coloration — a visual trigger for predators that key on wounded or distressed prey; one of the strongest night fishing colors in the Mini Brush Fly lineup
• Tan — natural, muted baitfish tone; matches the coloration of small mullet, sand eels, juvenile baitfish, and light-colored freshwater minnows; the most natural and least alarming color option for pressured fish in clear water and for species that closely inspect the fly before committing; effective across the widest range of conditions and species of the three colors
• Chartreuse — high-visibility single color; maximum brightness in stained and low-clarity water where natural-colored flies are difficult for fish to track at distance; the go-to choice for stained inshore environments, river systems with color, and any situation where the fly needs to be seen quickly at distance; also effective in deep presentations where chartreuse is the last color visible to fish looking up from the bottom

Target Species

Bass (Largemouth & Smallmouth) • Redfish • Snook • Speckled Trout • Striped Bass • Bluefish • Trout (Brown, Rainbow & Brook) • Pike • Perch • Any predatory species targeting small baitfish in freshwater or saltwater.

Specs

• Pattern: Mini Brush Fly (compact Big Game Brush)
• Length: 3.5" (90mm)
• Hook: #2
• Head: Rounded brush head, water-pushing
• Eyes: Fish-Skull Living Eyes (oversized, 3D)
• Tail: Trailing saddle hackle feathers
• Colors: Red & Black | Tan | Chartreuse
• Brand: Fish-Skull by Flymen Fishing Company

In stock and ready to ship.